What if?
by THGames75
Summary: What would happen if Peeta didn't come out with Katniss, what if Cato came out alive with the Girl on Fire? How would the rest of the story go? CURRENTLY ON PAUSE!
1. Chapter 1

Hunger Games Fan fiction

Chapter One

Takes up from the scene at the Cornucopia

Katniss froze when she saw Peeta in a headlock. Cato smirked when he saw that Katniss had become immobile.

"Cato, please!" Katniss pleaded. "Don't kill him."

As Katniss watched the face of her enemy, she saw his eyes fill with an unnamed emotion before they went cold again. However, she swore she heard him mutter an apology beneath his breath. Swiftly, Cato twisted Peeta's neck, killing him instantly before gently lowering the dead boy's body to the floor of the Cornucopia.

"No!" Katniss wailed when the cannon sounded, announcing her partner's death. She ran for the bow and the arrows that were a few feet away. Picking them up, she notched an arrow, aiming it for Cato's face. Chest heaving, Katniss stared at the last tribute left in the way to victory. Cato only stared at her as the young woman pulled back the string. Not able to kill someone without looking at what she was doing, Katniss locked eyes with the District two male. She knew it was a bad idea, because the moment she saw his eyes, she knew she could never kill someone in cold blood like this. Icy blue eyes stared at her as Katniss hesitated. Cato's eyes reminded her so much of Peeta's although Peeta's eyes were never cold and hard. Katniss saw Cato's eyes lighten as he looked at her; she saw emotion enter his eyes. There was so much sadness and hurt in his gaze that Katniss had to avert her eyes.

"Do it," he said in a low voice. Katniss looked back at him, avoiding his eyes at all cost. "Kill me, you deserve to go home." Cato's words shocked her and she looked up into his blue eyes. Making up her mind, Katniss took a step back. To Cato's surprise, the District twelve female lowered the bow to the ground and shook her head.

"I can't," she whispered. "I cannot kill you even though I hate what the Games made you become. I can't really blame you; I did some things that weren't right, too. I can't lose someone else in these Games. I won't kill another person!"

"They need a victor, Katniss," Cato stated softly.

The young girl shook her head at the boy. Reaching into her pocket where she had stored the Nightlock berries, she pulled them out and offered her hand to Cato. Understanding lit up his eyes as he accepted the berries. Katniss raised her hand to stop him and went to kneel beside her fallen partner's body. She closed his eyes and kissed his forehead before heading back to stand in front of his killer. She hadn't noticed that she was crying before Cato reached out a hand to wipe away the tears that had fallen. Needing comfort, she raised her free hand and pressed it against his, keeping it on her cheek. Looking into each other's eyes, they counted backwards from three, and at the end they raised their hands together and dropped the mortal berries into their mouths.

"STOP, stop! Do not eat them! Both of you are the victors!" Claudius' voice bellowed from the speakers. The announcement had come too late for the berries had already entered both the tributes mouths. Upon hearing the news, Katniss and Cato spat out the Nightlock, but some were missing. The world swayed around Katniss. Reaching out to Cato, she found that the once strong male had already collapsed to the ground. Hand outstretched, she could only watch as Cato's eyes closed and his body slumped down. Luckily, seconds later she felt the ever growing darkness overcome her senses and she, too, slumped down, unconscious. However, just before she completely passed out, she heard the distinctive sound of a hovercraft.

Katniss jolted awake, breathing hard. She could still hear Prim's screams in my head. In her nightmare, Prim was begging for help, shrieking for it actually. No matter what Katniss did, it was impossible for her to go forward; all she could do was listen as her sister screamed her lungs out.

It took a while before Katniss felt her heart rate go back to a normal pace. When she got her heart under control, she looked around, taking in the room in which she was. Why was she in a hospital bed, shouldn't she be in heaven? When she pulled out the deadly berries, she knew she was going to die and she had accepted that, it had even been her plan, so why hadn't she died? Katniss she pulled out of her musings when the door to the room opened to reveal a man who was obviously a doctor. She observed him as he browsed through her charts. The doctor nodded once before turning to face the young woman.

"How are you today, Miss Everdeen?" he demanded."A little confused, I presume?"

Katniss nodded her head, gathering her courage to speak up. "I thought I was dead!"

"Yes, well, you were very lucky. We arrived just in time to save you."

"And… the other person, the one who was with me, is he…?" she couldn't finish her thought, least of all say it out loud. She was afraid of the answer, even if Cato had been a killer in the Games, he was still a human being and she didn't want another death on her conscience, she didn't want another person to add to her list of kills.

The doctor smiled kindly. "He, too, was saved. He awoke yesterday. You have been here for almost a week. He was in the room next to yours; however, if I am not mistaken, he is not there at the moment. You are also free to leave once you feel the strength to do so." With that said, the doctor left the room closing the door softly behind him.

Exhausted from her time in the Games and from her near-death-experience, Katniss snuggled down onto the hard bed and closed her eyes. Sleep deprived, it didn't take long before sleep took her away.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I am sorry, I forgot to do this in the first chapter, but I do not own the Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins owns it._

_Note: Just to clarify a detail, Katniss does not forgive Cato, she just does not blame him for the actions he did in the Games; after all, it is kill or be killed._

_Chapter 2_

_It started out like the previous nightmare; Katniss was in the forest, hunting when suddenly the peace is broken by a child's screams. Katniss recognized her sister's voice through the pain in it. Panicking, Katniss started to walk towards the noise, but every step she took didn't make her move forward. She was stuck there, only this time, Peeta appeared and dragged her with him over to where Prim was. Once arrived on the scene, Katniss saw her sister on the ground, tied up and bloodied. At that moment, Cato came through the trees and started laughing hysterically. Then, he lunged towards Peeta and twisted his neck, killing him before going back to Prim and doing the same thing. Katniss screamed when blood splattered her clothes as she watched her precious sister's lifeless body on the ground._

Katniss woke up, panicked. She searched the floor of the room for Prim's body, still caught up in the emotions caused by her nightmare. She calmed down when reality caught up with her. Prim was safe at home with their mother and she was in the same room she had woken up in after her first nightmare. Well rested, even if she had a nightmare, Katniss made a list of things to do in the upcoming days. One of these things being talking to Cato. However, before she did that, she needed more information on her – their situation, meaning she would have to seek out Haymitch, her mentor. Determined to make the best out of today, Katniss got up, took a shower in the adjoined bathroom, she got dressed and headed out in search of Haymitch. As Katniss started walking around, she decided her information didn't have to come from her mentor; it could come from anyone who knew President Snow's reactions, expectations and plans.

Katniss didn't know where she was or where anyone she knew was situated she just ambled down the corridors of the hospital. It took her almost an hour before she walked by a door from which she heard voices. Thinking she had recognized it, she came closer to the door. Freezing when she heard her name being mentioned, she pressed closer until she could hear all what was being said, shamelessly eavesdropping.

"Brutus mentioned your position, I imagine?" That voice was clearly Haymitch's. A couple of moments went by before he spoke up again. "You do know that your situation is dangerous and that a single mistake can end both of your lives now?" That statement confused Katniss, and being who she was, she couldn't stand not knowing. Being kept in the dark was not something the young girl appreciated, so she made her presence known to obtain some answers. Opening the door before someone could give a response; she strutted inside the room, pushing the door closed behind her. Four heads turned in her direction and stared in shock, mouths hanging and eyes wide. Katniss came closer to the men and sat down in the only chair left, a rocking chair while the guys got their bearings together. She leaned back in the chair comfortably and glared at the small gathering. There was Haymitch and Cato, the district four mentor, often seen on television, named Finnick, and another man she didn't know but guessed he was Cato's mentor, a man named Brutus.

"What is going on?" Katniss probed, since no one had uttered a word after her arrival.

"Katniss…" Haymitch started.

Katniss shook her head at him. "I want answers! Starting with why isn't one of us dead?" she said, gesturing to her then to the blond Career.

"The Capitol needs a Victor, so they made sure to have one, in this case, two. I'm Brutus by the way, Cato's mentor," said the man.

"And…. ?"

"Snow wanted to sell you to the Capitol citizens, like he did to me; however, Blondie over here told him that there was no chance of that happening. Snow got the wrong idea and thinks you two are in love," Finnick continues the explanation.

"Oh," Katniss whispered, shocked that she had almost been sold to people but mostly, that Cato cared enough that he hadn't allowed it. For that, she was grateful to him. She let her eyes roam over Cato's body before looking into his eyes, seeing that some of the hardness had left his gaze. Maybe Cato really wasn't some psychotic killer. However, Katniss didn't deny the fact that he was still a killer. Aware that she was staring, she turned her attention back on Finnick.

"The problem is that you have to prove your love to Panem, since Snow announced the news on live television," Finnick stated after a slight pause.

Katniss turned to stare at Cato again, meeting his eyes once again. "I know that you don't love me, and I you, but I respect you. I did it because I didn't want them to sell you that way. Pretending love will keep your loved ones safe, along with mine," Cato finally speaks up.

Katniss nodded, understanding that the solution presented was the only one to keep the people she cared for out of danger. If she wasn't in love with someone, then Snow would get mad and exact his vengeance. The reasons for this love were good and she would go through with it. "So, what do we do now?"

"An interview with the two victors is planned tomorrow. You and Cato will spend the remaining time before the interview together," Haymitch answered.

"What?" Katniss said, surprised by this order.

"You and Cato know next to nothing about the other, except what you learned during training and the Games. The people you were then aren't exactly who you really are. So, you will get to know who the other truly is. It is important to know this for the interview, meaning that you get to spend as much time as possible speaking together," Haynitch said in a commanding voice. "Understood?"

Cato and Katniss both nodded their heads in agreement before getting up and leaving the room. An Avox was waiting outside the door to escort them back to their new quarters. As the trio entered an elevator, Katniss realized that they were still in the Capitol. The elevator took them up to the second floor before stopping. Why they had to stay in the district two apartments, Katniss had no idea. The Avox gestured to the two Victors to step onto the floor. As soon as they were out of the elevator, the doors to it closed, leaving them alone on the floor since the mentors were downstairs, the escorts weren't present and no Avox were on the floor. A little wary of the huge male, Katniss inched away from him, causing an amused glint to flicker in his eyes.

"Maybe we should…" Katniss said, hating that her voice was shaking slightly. She pointed towards the living room, not wanting to stay standing in front of the elevator for their conversation.

Cato nodded his head and sauntered over to the living room. Flopping down on a couch, he watched as Katniss took the seat in front of the blond boy.

"Who starts?" Katniss asked after an awkward silence.

"I don't actually care," Cato muttered, turning onto his back and staring at the ceiling.

Annoyed at his lack of emotion, Katniss sighed heavily. She really was hoping that he had changed and that they could maybe become friends. However, with the attitude he was having, maybe she had been wrong about him being something else then only a killer. "Fine, then. So we just sit here and ignore each other? Great plan, Cato!" she grumbled sarcastically. Cato turned and faced her, rolled his eyes at her and went back to staring at the ceiling. Katniss groaned, wondering why he was making it so hard on both of them. Whatever, if he didn't want to talk, then so be it. Silence descended in the room and Katniss made herself at home on her couch, waiting for the mentors to come back up.

_A__/__N: __If you have any ideas you think would be good, I'm open to suggestions, just send them to me and I'll look through them. I am not guarantying I'll use them but, other ideas are always appreciated and welcomed. Anyways, thanks to the people who reviewed, it motivates to write faster._


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins does._

Chapter 3

An hour went by without a single word being said. Both Katniss and Cato were lost in their own little world. Katniss could almost fall asleep because the silence was peaceful; however, as a huntress, she had learned to never turn her back on another predator, or in this case, fall asleep in the same room as a trained killer. So, she decided to focus her mind on something before sleep could claim her. Since she was alone with Cato, she came to the conclusion that observing him might be the best idea to make time go faster. Not because the blond boy was obviously eye candy, but because hunting had taught her to read body language and to analyse it. Her father had always said that the body speaks almost as much if not more than what a person actually says. A lot of information could be gathered about someone just by watching their body language.

Katniss shifted her position on the couch to have a better view of Cato. The Career hadn't moved, he was still sprawled on the couch. Since he was on his back, she could see at least half of his face. Katniss scanned his features, looking for a sign of his thoughts or feelings. However, she should have known better than to think it would be easy to read Cato' posture. He obviously could control most of his emotions, so why on earth wouldn't he be able to shut down the emotions a body can show! It took Katniss a couple of minutes before she decided that trying to read him was like trying to read a rock, no signals were given, only a hard exterior. Just before she gave up completely, she examined his features very carefully, hoping to have missed something, hoping to find something.

What she saw made her pause: there was a certain tension to his features, the kind that you see in people who are hiding strong emotions like guilt or hurt. If Cato really felt emotions like guilt, he had done a terrific job at keeping them locked up and hidden away. Never had Katniss seen another emotion then smugness or a willingness to fight and kill in the blond Career during the preparation to the Games or the actual Games, even out of the Games, there was almost no emotion coming from him. All she had seen was a brutal boy, a programmed killer, now it was different, but still. Questions assaulted her mind and she realized that she really wanted to know who her co-victor really was.

"I can feel you staring, Fire Girl. What do you want?"Cato said in his deep voice.

"Nothing," Katnis mumbled, turning away, blushing because she had been caught looking at him.

Cato snorted at her answer, but let it go. They both fell back into their silent states. After a few moments Katniss's eyes strayed back to Cato's face. Scanning his features once again, she felt a flutter in her stomach. Surprised by this feeling, Katniss put it off as being grateful for the confidence and the strength he gave off.

"Cato...," Katniss said, overcome by the need to hear his voice again.

"What?" he grunted, his voice harsh.

Scared he would get mad if she asked about him; she lost her courage and muttered nothing. Never did she want to have him mad at her, she had seen him lose control in the Games and it wasn't a pretty sight, neither was it safe to be near him when his control snapped. Turning so she wouldn't have to see him anymore, she rested her head against the back of the couch, wishing that everything wasn't so messed up. She heard rustling, but refused to give in to the instinct that would have her spinning to face the noise. Soft footfalls approached her and someone sat near her on the couch. Giving in to the desire to see him, she spun around and came face to face with Cato. He was so near to her that she could feel his body heat surrounding her. Katniss was surprised when she met his eyes and saw that his gaze wasn't as cold as it had been before. Katniss had to avert her eyes before she could start to fall into his deep blue ones. She loved beautiful eyes, and Cato's were eyes in which she could drown if she spent too much time staring at them.

"Katniss," Cato said in a soft voice she had never imagined could come out of his mouth.

"What?" Grumpily, Katniss turned back to face him again. Why did hearing his voice send shivers down her spine? Why did being so close to him make her feel so safe? He was a killer; he had been born to be one and would always stay the same. However, in her heart, Katniss wished her reasoning was wrong, because every moment she spent with him, she felt herself being drawn closer to him, almost like a magnet.

Cato smirked briefly at the woman before going back to business and letting the smirk evaporate. "We should probably talk if we're going to act in love."

"So now you're going to act reasonable!"

Cato sighed, having heard the heavy dose of sarcasm in her voice. Before he could say a word, she continued: "What a great idea you had Cato, it only took you all this time to come up with it! Bravo!" Cato shook his head at the irritated girl next to him. He wished it got on his nerves, but he had to admit, he liked her attitude. She was a strong one and he couldn't deny it, even though it annoyed him to accept it. He nodded his head at the girl, indicating that he wanted to talk.

Seeing him struggling to control his emotions, Katniss nodded back at him, letting him know she was done with acting like a bitch. "So, who starts?" she inquired and without waiting for him to speak up, she continued: "I can start, I don't really mind if it's what you prefer."

Cato inclined his head in relief. He really didn't feel like starting. His life was a mess, and so was his family. How to explain everything to her when everything would just end up sounding so bad?

Sensing his internal struggles, Katniss reached out and patted his knee before withdrawing her hand. Blushing and giddy at the contact, it took her a moment to gather her wits and to another moment to remember how to speak. "What do you want to know?" she probed, not knowing what he wanted her to tell him.

"Everything," he said, grinning at her for a second before the smile melted off his face. "Let's start with your family and friends."

Unknown to the massive male, Katniss's heart had almost stopped when he'd grinned at her. The smile had made him look even more handsome, something Katniss thought impossible. When she finished arranging her thoughts, she started to tell him more about her life at home...

A/N: _The chapters will probably start coming in slower, the three first ones were already writing and I just needed to type them out and do some corrections. Thanks to everyone who read the story and a big thank you to those who took the time to review it is really appreciated! _


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Sorry, I know it has been long since my last update. I'm going into my exam week and I've been studying a lot. _

Chapter four

Katniss took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she started to reveal her past to Cato. She told him everything, but she changed and left out some small details, all having to do with her father. She didn't want to deal with the pain of remembering the hole in her life that had been filled by her dad, a hole that had appeared at his death. She didn't mention anything about him, hoping she wouldn't have to talk about him, hoping Cato would ignore the fact that she had left her father out of her story.

When Katniss mentioned her rocky relationship with her mother, she saw something that resembled sympathy cross Cato's features. Talking about Primrose and remembering the close relationship she had with her younger sister sent a bolt of nostalgia through her heart. She was intrigued when she thought she saw longing in her blond companion's eyes at the mention of her love for her sister. However, before she could be sure of it, it disappeared and Katniss decided that she had imagined the emotion in Cato's eyes.

Surprise flashed across Cato's face when she confessed to him about hunting illegally. The blond ex-Career obviously thought she wasn't one to break the rules. It had confused Katniss to see so many emotions coming from her co-victor, but what really got her attention was the hard look that came back when she talked about her only friends, Gale and Madge. She could almost feel Cato pulling away from her, going back to the person he was before they had spent some time together. Deciding to ignore his reactions to her relationship with Gale, even if it hurt to see him drawing away from her, she continued to tell her story until she came to the Reaping.

When she was finished, her throat was dry. Looking up, she realized it had taken her a little more than half and hour to bring Cato up-to-speed about her life. Getting up from the couch, she went into the kitchen to get herself some water. Going back to the living room after drinking, she saw that Cato had shifted his position and was now spread out on the entire couch, once again staring at the ceiling. She smiled softly at the sight he gave. In that position, he looked calmer, not at all like the trained killer Katniss knew was a part of him. She took a seat on the couch facing the one Cato was on. Laying her head on the arm of the couch, she closed her eyes, enjoying the easy silence that had fallen in the apartment.

She heard a rustling and opened her eyes, looking straight at the gorgeous blond boy. Cato was lying on his side, peering intently at the young woman in front of him. They stayed that way for a few tense moments in which Katniss had to fight the urge to fidget.

"You left things out," Cato said in a nonchalant voice. When Katniss shrugged, he sighed. "What about your father?" he questioned, saying the one thing Katniss had wished he wouldn't.

Katniss turned away, hoping he would understand that she didn't want to talk about that particular subject. Cato felt his anger spike when she turned away from him, not answering his question. Why wouldn't she answer him? His voice was sharp when he spoke again. "Katniss!" he said demanding an answer to his question.

Her head snapped around towards him at his tone of voice. Grey and blue eyes clashed. The fire in Katniss' eyes was back, burning strongly; however, Cato could detect hurt hidden in her grey orbs, even if she was trying with all her might to hide it from the prying male.

"He's dead! Happy now?" Katniss' voice trembled slightly, betraying her feelings. Cato's eyes were blank; and that made her snap. Why couldn't he at least pretend to be understanding of the situation? She was trying so hard, but he gave her nothing to work on.

"Why do you ask if you don't even care about the answer, if you don't care about me at all? You just needed to hurt me more than you already have, huh? Couldn't you see it wasn't something I wanted to talk about? You're a monster, Cato, not only that, you don't even have any feelings or compassion for others!" She yelled, standing up. Cato just watched her silently, not responding to her outburst. "Go to hell," Katniss muttered, turning around and stalking to one of the empty rooms in the apartment to have some privacy.

Away from Cato's unflinching and unfeeling personality, she let the tears that had been building up in her eyes flow down her cheeks without making a sound. When she was under the covers of the bed with her head buried in the pillows, she released the control on her tears and sobbed, the pillows muffing the sounds she was making. She cried for the first time in many years and she cried for many different things, but especially because she was scared that she would never be the same person she was before the Games. And when she fell asleep, tears were still falling from her closed eyelids.

_Note: Ok, I've got a question for those who know the site well. If I'm going to put in make-out scenes and allusions to physical relationships, what should the rating be? _


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ten minutes later, still in the living room, Cato let out a deep breath, knowing he should have left the subject concerning Katniss' father alone instead of letting his temper get the best of him and hurting the young woman. Even though it stung to be called a monster, Cato couldn't deny it. After all, it was the truth. The blond boy had been brought up as a killing machine devoid of any positive feelings and hiding the rest of them. During his training, Cato's trainers had broken whatever part of him that was still human. His father had already begun the work by beating him up almost daily. So, the small part that was still alive and intact in Cato broke when he was forced to enter the Academy. At the age of ten, Cato could beat kids that were stronger and older than him easily and was the most promising student in many years.

In his mind, he could still see the hurt in Katniss' eyes when he had pushed to get an answer to his question. The hurt present in her grey eyes was so deep and cutting that Cato knew Katniss and her father had been extremely close. Knowing that he had to make it right between them, Cato got off the couch and went in search of the young woman, hoping he could repair part of the damage he had done. He had looked in all the rooms except an unused one, his mentors' rooms and his when he found her in the empty room.

Regret filled Cato when he saw the tear tracks drying on her cheeks. Regret was an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time and he had forgotten how much it hurt. He knew he had to do something to help his co-victor, but he couldn't bring himself to wake her up. Sleeping, she looked peaceful, if not a little lost, but he was sure it wouldn't last long. Soon the nightmares would arrive and would leave her screaming, begging and twisting around in the bed trying to get away from the horror and the deaths that plagued her dreams. Cato decided to let Katniss sleep for the time being since she didn't seem to be having a nightmare; however, he would wake her up when they started, saving her from reliving painful memories and giving him a chance to make it right with the Girl on Fire.

* * *

Katniss began yelling, hoping her father would hear her and come out of the mines, avoiding the explosion that had taken his life along with all the other miners in the section. She felt herself being shaken and woke up, out of breath from her screams. She calmed down enough from her dream to take a look around herself, recognizing the room in which she had cried herself to sleep. Her eyes finally came to rest on the ex-Career sitting on a chair near her bed. Even if she was mad at him, she couldn't help but admire his physical form. However, when she met his eyes and detected pity, she couldn't take it, not after seeing his empty eyes after telling him her dad was gone from this world. She turned away to face the other side of the room, clearly indicating she wasn't happy about his presence and his invasion to her privacy. Although she appreciated the fact that he had woken her up from her nightmare, she wasn't going to tell him, it would only give him another chance to hurt her.

Silence descended in the room and only their combined breaths could be heard. When she didn't hear Cato moving, she knew he wasn't going to leave her alone. The young woman had learned patience from all the years spent in the forest waiting for game, so she would wait until Cato spoke, thus breaking the silence. Katniss had always been a quiet and reserved girl, so she didn't mind the silence; however, this silence was tense as both the ex-tributes waited to see who would make the first move and start talking.

Katniss felt like screaming at Cato to get out and leave her alone, but she was curious as to why the blond boy had come into her room. Even when she was just a toddler, Katniss had always wanted to know everything and growing up hadn't changed that about her, it was just how she was. So, curiosity kept her from kicking him out of her room so she could go back to sleep, or at least try to. Since she was preparing herself to wait for a long time before Cato opened up to her, she was surprised when it didn't take more than five minutes for him to talk.

"Look," he said, "I didn't mean to look like an insensitive jerk." Katniss huffed, not believing him. He had proved he didn't have feelings by the way he had reacted. Cato sighed, knowing she didn't believe him. To gain back her trust, he would have to explain himself, something he didn't particularly want to do, but was necessary in this case. "At the Academy, the trainers kill any feelings you might experience. It's part of our training as Careers. Any humanity is stripped from us before we are taught to fight." Cato's voice was tight, keeping his anger at the Academy controlled.

Hearing the tightness in his voice, Katniss knew what he was telling her was true. He was bearing a part of him and allowing the girl to learn more about who he was. Wanting to know more, Katniss rolled onto her back to watch the ceiling, hoping that Cato would continue to reveal things about his past to her.

Seeing Katniss move encouraged Cato, and he told her about the beatings he had received not only by his trainers, but also by his father before he entered the Academy, he kept the details to himself, though. Knowing that her father would never lay a hand against her, she felt sad that Cato had never experienced the love a father should have for his child. Understanding why her co-victor never showed emotions, Katniss turned so she was lying on her side, propped up on one of her arms, gazing at Cato. All she could see while she looked at him was a lost and broken boy who knew he had made a mistake and was trying to make it right. She saw Cato struggling with what to tell her and knew that this was hard for him, so she helped him by saying that she understood his actions and forgave him.

Hearing her granting him her forgiveness healed a part that was broken in Cato. He relaxed, knowing he had repaired what he had broken. With this thought, Cato changed a bit, slowly he was healing and maybe with Katniss' help he would one day become someone better, someone you could trust and rely on.

Cato nodded his head at the tired young girl before him and got up, heading for the door in order to let Katniss sleep and to catch some sleep himself. Just as he was about to exit the door, a rustling was heard behind him and he turned to face the noise. He saw that Katniss was now sitting up and staring intently at him, biting her bottom lip gently as if she was considering something. She lowered her eyes and fiddled with the cover that was in her lap.

"Can you stay with me, please? I don't want to be alone. I don't want to have to face the nightmares and wake up alone anymore," she pleads, lifting her head to look at him again.

"Are you sure?" Cato asks, surprised that she wanted him to stay with her.

"Yeah." She nodded before biting her lip again. When she continued, it was in a shy voice. "The bed is big enough for two." She glanced away, really hoping he wouldn't reject her offer because she didn't think she could stand another nightmare on her own.

Seeing her pleading eyes before she turned away, Cato accepted. He remembered when Brutus, his mentor, had told him proximity with another person could help to keep the dreams away, so Cato decided it couldn't hurt to stay with Katniss. "Okay," he replied, moving closer to the bed and taking off his shoes and his shirt. When he came forward, Katniss scooted to the other side of the bed to make room for Cato and she couldn't help but watch as his muscles rippled with every movement. Katniss blushed and turned away; however, Cato had already caught her staring. Without making a comment about it, he slipped into the bed and turned so that his back was facing Katniss, giving her the most privacy he could.

* * *

When Brutus, Haymitch and Finnick went up to the district two's apartment, they saw that the living room was empty so they all went in search of the two victors. Looking through the rooms to find Cato and Katniss, the three men each took a room to search in order to find them faster.

"Brutus, Haymitch," Finnick whispered. "Stay quiet and come here. You've got to see this." Finnick's voice held amazement and the other two came up to him wondering what was in the room to get such a reaction out of Finnick. What they saw made them both smile and stare in amazement, like Finnick. Katniss and Cato were sleeping in the same bed, and although they weren't touching, it was a huge improvement and it was better then they had hoped for. Finnick shut the door carefully making sure he wouldn't wake up the pair.

"It seems like they are getting along fine now," Brutus said, amused by the sudden change in the brutal boy he had met in the Academy in district two.

_A/N: I want to thank all the people who took the time to review my story, it means a lot to me. Since my last chapter was short, I made this one longer and I hope you like it. I know that I'm rushing into the romance a bit, but hey, I like them better when they are not fighting. I also want to thank everyone who has answered my question in the last chapter. As you've seen, the rating has changed, please take note of it. __**I've got another question. If I post a one-shot about Marvel, is there anyone who is interested? If one of you guys says yes, I'll post it as soon as I finish writing it.**_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

Katniss was woken up by someone pounding on the door. A voice penetrated the fog in her head; although, since she was still half asleep, Katniss wasn't sure who's it was.

"Get up, Sweetheart!" Ah, Haymitch. He was the only person who dared to call her sweetheart. "The interview is in three hours and your Prep team needs time to work their magic," Katniss' ex-mentor yelled before banging hard on the door again and going away.

Not wanting to leave the comfort provided by the bed, Katniss rolled onto her stomach and buried her head into the soft, fluffy pillows. Now that her ears were covered, Katniss started to fall asleep again. However, she was soon awakened again by a harsh banging on the door, only this time it was louder.

"Cato, if you don't get yourself and Katniss out of this room and into the dining room in the next five minutes, I'll bust down the door and drag you to it myself!" Brutus threatened before he retreated back to where he had come from.

Once Brutus' footsteps left, Katniss tried to decide whether going back to sleep was worth it. Not knowing if Cato's ex-mentor was really going to go through with his threat, Katniss raised her face off the pillows and turned to look at Cato who was already sitting up. "Is he for real?"

Cato nodded, knowing that Brutus really would follow through with his words, so he got up and put on his shirt. Katniss sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, trying to clear the remains of sleep from her body and brain. Just as she was about to get out of the bed, she saw Cato pulling on his shirt and couldn't take her eyes off his toned body. Katniss knew that every female that saw a man with a body like that would stare; however, it was more than just lust that kept her eyes on the male in front of her. He had opened up to her a bit and now, she knew he was more than just a killing machine. What Cato really was, she didn't have a clue, she just knew there was more to him than what he had shown previously.

Tearing her eyes away from the sight before her, Katniss got up and got dressed properly before joining everyone else in the dining room. While she was filling her plate, Katniss couldn't help but remember that her night had been devoid of nightmares. In fact, she hadn't even woken up once. She had slept through the entire night for the first time in a while. Katniss was lost in her thoughts when she sat down at the table.

She came out of her musings when she was nudged by an elbow. Bright green eyes sparkled at her when she turned to face her neighbor. "Want a sugar cube, darling?" Finnick asked in a seductive voice. When Katniss shook her head, Finnick's smile grew into a knowing grin. "So, how was your night? Do anything fun?" he inquired, a mischievous twinkle in his beautiful eyes.

Katniss sputtered and blushed when the three mentors erupted with laughter. "What is so funny?" Katniss demanded in a cold tone.

"Nothing, Sweetheart. We just happened to come across a very particular sight yesterday evening when we came back here to sleep," Haymitch answered in an innocent voice, his words slurred slightly.

Katniss blushed harder, knowing that Cato and she had been caught while they were sleeping in the same bed. "We, huh… Well, you see…" Her blush spread out even more as she tried to come up with an explanation but kept stuttering. When the men just laughed harder, including Cato, her temper flashed and she ended with a scowl on her face as she finally said: "Nothing happened, okay?" Her words sounded just a tad too defensive and the men just continued to laugh at her.

Luckily, she was saved having to deal with the immature guys because her Prep team arrived and lead her to her room in order to get her ready for the interview. Katniss knew that fighting with them lead to nothing, so she was passive and let them do their job without complaining. All through the prepping, Katniss was anxiously waiting to see her stylist, Cinna. She had instantly liked Cinna and was happy to see him again. Cinna created amazing designs for her, but he was also one of the kindest person Katniss had ever met.

Finally, the door to her room opened and in walked the stylist. For a Capitol person, Cinna had great taste and was not overly extravagant, something that was not often seen here. Cinna waved away the Prep team and smiled at the girl in front of him. She was truly beautiful and amazing, Cinna was happy to have met this strong woman. He checked over her and finally had her close her eyes as he slipped the dress over her head. Katniss kept her eyes closed as Cinna arranged her hair.

When Cinna prompted her to open her eyes, Katniss was amazed at the image she projected. The dress hugged her curves, but was not too revealing. To keep up the image she had first made as the Girl on Fire, Cinna had added flame motifs on the dress. In addition, every movement caused the dress to ripple, like a fire. However, the dress was faded and that intrigued Katniss.

Seeing her questioning eyes, Cinna smiled softly. "Your fire has been somewhat abated. You've lost some of your intensity because of the losses you've suffered. However, you are still burning, so your flame is still there, only paler."

"Thank you, Cinna. The dress is wonderful," Katniss murmured, admiring Cinna's latest creation.

Cinna lead Katniss out the room and into the elevator. When they arrived at the ground floor, Cinna brought Katniss to her platform. From there, she would rise until she was on stage. Just as Cinna was leaving her, Haymitch came rushing into the room.

"Remember, you and Cato are falling in love, okay? Don't mess it up, Sweetheart, or the consequences will be huge," her ex-mentor warned.

Katniss nodded and Haymitch left the room. The young woman steeled herself for the interview. She took a deep breath when she felt the platform start to rise. She was doing this so she could go back to Prim, she needed to do it properly. She pasted a smile on her face for the cameras and waited to arrive on stage.

Here goes nothing, Katniss thought to herself just before the platform arrived on stage.

_A/N: 1- So, this is chapter six. I have posted the one-shot about Marvel, for those who are interested; it is called Who is Marvel? _

_2- Anyone have any questions that could be asked in the interview? I have no idea what to put in it, so your help is appreciated. _

_3- Thanks to all of you who review last chapter and the previous ones, it is truly appreciated_.


	7. Chapter 7

"Let's welcome our very own Girl on Fire, Katniss Everdeen!" Caesar's voice announced her arrival. Suddenly, Katniss was blinded by a harsh light and her ears hurt from all the cheering from the Capitol citizens.

When Katniss approached the animator, she was relieved to see that Cato was already sitting on the love-seat which replaced the chair that was usually used. Katniss smiled happily and her eyes lit up when she saw Cato turn to face her. She peered intently into his eyes, trying to detect the Brutal Cato her co-victor had once presented to the country; luckily, she didn't catch a glimpse of Cato's cold personality.

Knowing that she had to act as a young girl in love, Katniss sat close to Cato, making sure they were close enough to project the image of a couple but she kept a small distance between their bodies. As she looked up into Cato's blue eyes, she let her face relax and she allowed a tender smile to appear on her face.

Returning her smile, Cato draped an arm around Katniss' frail shoulders and kissed the top of her head, putting on a show for Panem, but mostly for the Capitol. To look more like teens that have fallen in love, Cato pulled Katniss closer to him until their sides were pressed up together. Cato found it amusing to see a blush forming in her cheeks and chuckled slightly, earning a glare from the young woman.

Katniss and Cato interrupted their silent banter when Caesar cleared his throat. "What is better than seeing two young people in love?" Cheers followed the statement. "Well, we should start, or we won't be able to get the answers we seek from our victors. We'll begin by watching the recap of this year's Games." With that said, silence followed as every eye turned to look at the projection of the film.

And so, the newest victors were forced to watch as the games were replayed in front of their eyes and their time in the arena came back to hit them in the face. Not wanting to see the tributes who were murdered for entertainment in the bloodbath, Katniss twisted so that her face was turned away from the recap. Hiding from the horrors of the games, she placed her head on Cato's shoulder and looked away, trying to find some sort of comfort in his presence. Even though he was a trained killer and had participated in these murders, Katniss needed to know someone was there with her.

Letting the young woman know that she wasn't alone in this, Cato rubbed her shoulder gently, trying to calm her down a little. Katniss sighed and allowed her body to slump a little more, putting more of her weight on Cato. Reminding herself that she was out of the Games, Katniss forced herself to look back at the recap.

When it came time for Rue's death, Katniss held back a sob as she watched the little girl die again. She felt Cato's arm around her shoulders tighten and she felt him kiss her head. Katniss was better when the blond ex-tribute wrapped his other arm around her too, that allowed her to cling to something, making her feel more grounded to reality.

Both victors couldn't hide their relief when the recap ended. Katniss hadn't realized that she had let a few tears slip down her cheeks until the moment Cato's hand was there to wipe them away.

"So many emotions in these games, so much drama!" Caesar's voice startled Katniss and Cato out of their moment. The animator then started to ask the two victors some easy questions, none of which was about the relationship between them nor about Peeta. However, Katniss was unable to relax because she knew the hard questions were at the end. And she was right because the next question was about her former flame, as the Capitol now calls Peeta.

"So, the romance between you and your district partner, Peeta, was false?" Ceasar directed the question at Katniss.

Katniss fidgeted, not sure how to answer. She sighed and decided on telling the truth. "It wasn't fake for him. He genuinely loved me; I didn't reciprocate his feelings. He saved my life when we were younger and I felt like I owed him a chance to survive. Pretending to love him was my way of giving him that chance." Her voice was soft and she held back her tears, remembering the boy with the bread who had saved her life all those years ago.

There was a pause before Ceasar moved on to his next inquiry. "I think I speak for all when I say that the romantic feelings you two share surprised us. How did you act together before going into the Arena? What was your relationship like during the few days of training?"

Katniss and Cato shared a glance before the male decided to speak up and answer that question. "At first, I didn't like her, thinking she wasn't worth my time. However, after the opening ceremony and her fiery entry, I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. She had fire, even when the flames had died out of the clothes. During the training, I watched her and was impressed by her skills in the survival stations. So, I went over on the second day and observed her, trying to understand how she was doing it."

Katniss chuckled warmly as though she was remembering that moment. "I was scared when I saw him next to me. He seemed to find it funny that I was trembling when he sat down in front of me. Wordlessly, I showed him how to light the fire and watched as he gave it a shot. When he was concentrated on something, he looked pretty handsome and I couldn't stop staring. No boys in district twelve look like Cato and I have to say, he is pretty intimidating."

Cato hugged her closer and continued, telling the audience that they had talked after he had lit the fire on his third try. Cato also told the public that they had seen each other every day after that and that Katniss and he had found in the other a confident.

Ceasar nodded, absorbing all the information they had given him. "When do you think you fell in love with the other person?"

Katniss shrugged. "I think it was progressive, there wasn't really a moment when I really fell in love with Cato. I got to say it, blowing up his supplies was hard for me, but I had to go home to my sister."

"I knew I had fallen for Katniss when I saw her running away and climbing a tree even though she was hurt in order to avoid being caught by my group. I saw a girl who was determined to win and to get home. I was relieved when she got the medicine." Cato's voice was smooth and if Katniss didn't know that he was pretending, she would buy his story.

"Hum…" Ceasar said, appearing to mull over this new piece of information. "Where do you see your relationship going from here?"

Unprepared for that question, Katniss looked uncertainly up at her fellow victor. Cato raised his eyebrows and shrugged at her. "Uhmm, I guess we haven't thought that far away. We are enjoying spending time together in the present and have not yet worried about what the future may hold for us as a couple, and as individuals. However, I do hope the future will see us stay together," Katniss answered, hoping it would satisfy the public. She looked out in the audience and met Haymitch's eyes. Approval shone from them and the young woman knew she was doing well.

Ceasar had one more question for the couple before the end of the interview. "Are you excited about going home?"

Cato spoke up first. "I can't wait to be back in my home even though I will miss Katniss. I am anxious to see my family again, along with my friends."

"Going home is what I've been fighting for this whole time and I can't wait to be back there with my family and with my other loved ones. I have missed my little sister a lot and can't wait to be with her again. I have to say that being away from Cato will be hard, but we will still see each other every year when we come here to mentor the future tributes."

Ceasar announced the end of their time together and the victors were allowed to leave the stage under the cheers of the Capitol citizens.

Katniss was so tired and burned out that she had trouble staying on her feet. About half way to the elevators, Cato picked her up and carried her for the rest of the way to her room. He left when Cinna came in to help Katniss get out of her dress. By the time her head hit the pillow, she was already asleep.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry, I know it's been long since my last update, but I really didn't know what to do for the interview. I took a break and got back to writing this week this is the result after many other attempts that failed. Hope you enjoy it!_

_Also, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited and followed this story. I appreciate it a lot and can't thank you all enough. _

_**Teaser for next chapter (don't want to know, don't read!):**__ Next chapter includes a visit from our very much loved President (please note the sarcasm!) _


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

Katniss awoke with a start. She had had another nightmare. Only, this one was different from the others. As soon as she opened her eyes, the images from her dream started to fade, leaving her with only a vague recollection of the panic she had felt. Trying to relax, she went into the bathroom and got ready for the upcoming day. Just as she was finishing her preparations, a knock sounded and without waiting for an invitation, the door swung open to reveal a harassed and concerned Effie.

Never had Katniss seen the escort from her district wear another look than utter happiness. It worried the young woman and Katniss got a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if something bad was about to happen.

"Effie?" Katniss probed when the escort just stared at her. "Why are you here? What's wrong?"

"Katniss, President Snow is here to talk to you and Cato. You had better come to the living room with me now."

Katniss cursed silently, not wanting to meet the President. After all, he was the reason she had lost Peeta and that her entire district was starving... However, Katniss knew that what the President wanted, he got, and nothing neither stood in his way nor got away without suffering the consequences.

Nodding her head, Katniss followed Effie over to where President Snow was waiting. Cato was already there along with Haymitch, Brutus and a woman who was probably district two's escort. Taking a seat next to Cato, she felt a shiver of fear race up her spine as she looked at the man sitting in front of her. Trying to ease some of the tension in her body, Katniss inhaled deeply and her senses were overwhelmed by the smell of blood and of dying roses. Fear rocketed inside her and Katniss leaned closer to Cato, seeking reassurance from him.

President Snow cocked his head slightly and a strange smile floated on his lips. "Katniss Everdeen, what a pleasure to finally see you up-close. You made quite the entrance into the arena! The Girl on Fire, indeed!" The President paused and Katniss knew that whatever he had to say wouldn't please her at all. "You see, I was intrigued when Mr Black told me he wouldn't let you be sold. However, I see that you make a great couple, and so does the Capitol. My people seem to think that it is sad to separate you two; therefore, changes have been made to the original plan. The Victory tour will be starting tomorrow. And, when the tour is over, Miss Everdeen will go live in District Two with Mr Black." The President motioned toward Cato, and Katniss assumed Black was her co-victor's last name.

Katniss panicked. Not going home to her family was the worst scenario ever. How could she live without being near Prim? The president seemed to know what she was thinking and a cruel glint appeared in his eyes. "You will, of course, be allowed to see your family, Miss Everdeen. However, you will not live with them. I believe that District two will be… safer for you."

Katniss couldn't understand why she couldn't go home and only visit Cato instead of living with him. Why was the President being so terrible to her? What had she done? Knowing that some information had been kept from her, she glared at her mentor.

For a moment, Katniss was lost in her thoughts. When she came back to reality, she realized President Snow had finished telling the other details about the tour since he was now standing.

"Miss Everdeen, I suggest you behave yourself and go through with your part or there will be consequences." That was the last statement Snow said before leaving the group.

Fuming, Katniss got off the couch and glared at the people in the room. "I'm sick of being kept in the dark about some things! This is my life and my family's future we are talking about, I should be aware of what concerns me!" She started to walk away but before completely leaving the room, she turned around and said: "Don't any of you talk to me unless it's to tell me what you've been keeping secret from me!"

She left in the elevator, hitting the number for the roof. She spent the whole day on the roof, trying to calm herself down, but every time it started to work, she remembered the conversation with Snow and her anger came rushing back to the surface. Betrayal battled anger for the strongest emotion in her heart. Why hadn't Haymitch warned her of this development? Why hadn't Cato told her the truth? In the end, it didn't really matter… what mattered was being apart from her sister, from Gale and from hunting.

It was only when the moon was in the sky that the distressed woman made her way back to floor two. Refusing to acknowledge the concerned and sympathetic faces watching her from the dining room, Katniss went to her room. Food being the last thing on her mind at the moment, Katniss got her things packed and got ready for bed. Changing into her sleep clothes, she settled into the soft bed, wishing she was home in her hard bed with Prim's small body tucked close to her.

Tossing and turning in the bed for many hours, Katniss finally got up and went in search of some food to fill her rumbling stomach. Opening the fridge and taking out the remains of the supper, she filled a plate with the rest of the lamb stew. When she was full, she went to the living room and sat on one of the couches. Just before one in the morning, sleep finally caught up to her and she fell into the land of dreams.

_A/N: I'll try to update once more this week 'cause I'm gone for two weeks starting the 5__th__ of august, and then school starts pretty soon after. So, my updates might be spread even farther apart. _

_Next chapter contains more Cato and Katniss interaction!_

_Reviews are always appreciated and I thank all of you who have already left comments and thank those who read this story._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

Katniss was pulled away from her dreams by a shrill voice. Someone was obviously not happy about something. However, Katniss couldn't bring herself to care, so she flipped onto her stomach and covered her ears with a pillow from the couch. Sadly, the voice only seemed to get louder and louder until the pillow wasn't helping to muffle the sounds anymore. Groaning, Katniss threw off the pillow and stood up. When she saw that the arguing people were Effie and Haymitch, Katniss couldn't help but feel a spike of anger go through her heart.

"Will you shut up?! I'm trying to sleep here!" Katniss had to yell to be heard over the arguing pair. Suddenly, everyone was silent. Katniss looked around and saw that Brutus, Cato, Finnick and Cinna were all in the room, too.

Haymitch barely took the time to look at the young woman before glancing back at Effie. Not a second later, the two of them were going at it again. Even though Katniss was fuming, she couldn't help but be amused by seeing her district's escort so worked up. However, too tired to find it funny for long, Katniss got fed up and left the room before she could blow up.

Just as she was about to fall asleep in her bed, someone knocked on her door. Sighing, Katniss gave up on the idea of sleeping some more and got up to open the door. Relieved that it wasn't Cato or Haymitch, Katniss ushered Cinna into the room before shutting the door behind the stylist.

"I heard about what happened last night." Cinna's voice is calm and composed, and as always, the stylist is serene. "I understand that you feel betrayed by everyone, but we thought it was better to keep things from you than to burden you with them." Cinna waited for the young woman to nod before continuing. "The truth is that President Snow has made threats against your family should you not prove you're in love with Cato. Since Haymitch knows you aren't a great actress, he decided not to add pressure on you by not telling you about the threats."

"I don't understand why that has an impact on my going back home," Katniss said.

"It's not all..." Cinna took a deep breath, stealing himself for her reaction to the next piece of news. "There has been talk about a rebellion starting. President Snow seems to think you are the reason for this uprising. And he is right. District eleven rebelled first, just after little Rue's death and your actions throughout the Games. Soon, other district joined in with eleven, including twelve. The only district the President can count on is two, which is why you are moving there. It's the President's way of trying to contain the rebellion."

After Cinna's revelations, Katniss could only stare at him; slowly processing the information she had been given. Finally she knew the real story; however, some part of her wished she was still in the dark. "But... I don't want a rebellion! This isn't my fault."

Cinna put an arm around the girl's shoulders, gently squeezing her. "I – We know that Katniss, even the President knows it was only a matter of time before the people rebelled. He is just blaming this on you because he can."

Katniss knew what Cinna was saying was true. However, being who she is, she couldn't help but feel guilty that lives would be taken because of her actions. Shaking the thoughts of more deaths on her conscience away, she got up and started to pace the length of the room. Mumbling to herself about not wanting to be part of the rebels and about not wanting to be used as a reason to revolt, she didn't notice that Cinna was leaving her room until the door clicked shut behind him.

Needing to work out some of her pent up emotions, Katniss changed into a pair of training clothes and left her room to head to the Training Center. Just as she was about to leave, Effie stopped her, reminding Katniss that they were to leave in five hours and that she needed to be in her room at three o'clock in order to be ready in time.

Consenting to do what Effie told her to do, Katniss got away from Effie and went to the Training Center. The bows and arrows were exactly where they were during the training days and Katniss glided over there, itching to hold a bow again. She picked up a bow that looked like the one she had from her father. After her examination of the weapon, Katniss strung an arrow, aimed, and released the string. The arrow hit the middle of the target, not that it surprised the archer. She did the same thing over and over again until her arms started to hurt.

Taking a break, Katniss wandered over to the drinking fountain. When she was done drinking, she heard the sounds of someone training. Believing it to be Cato, Katniss followed the noise to its origin. There he was, with his blond hair and piercing blue eyes. Cato was holding a sword and was manipulating it with ease despite the size of the weapon. Katniss watched as the blond boy went through an exercise he obviously had done many times before.

"Hey." At the sound of the female voice, Cato spun around, bringing the sword up as if to defend himself against a threat. Realizing that it was only Katniss, Cato let down his guard and lowered the weapon.

"Hey," Cato responded. "What are you doing here?"

"Practicing with the bow and arrows."

"It didn't seem like you need a lot of practice, your aim in the arena was extremely good," Cato mused out loud; even though he was mostly speaking to himself.

Katniss shrugged. "If I don't practice, I'll lose my touch. Sadly, it's too easy without a moving target..." Just as Cato was about to talk, Katniss glanced at the time on the training room's wall. 3:05. She was late; Effie was going to be so mad at her. Excusing herself, Katniss left the Training Center at a dead sprint, hoping to avoid being detected by Effie.

Luck was on Katniss' side because only her prep team was waiting for her in the apartment. As they worked their magic, Katniss let her mind wander back to the encounter with Cato. It had been somewhat pleasant; something that was kind of a miracle, considering everything that had happened. The young woman surprised herself by thinking that life with Cato by her side couldn't be as horrible as she had first thought.

Katniss smiled at Cinna when he came into the room holding a covered outfit. When the prep team had been shooed out of Katniss' room, Cinna made her close her eyes and slipped the dress over her head. Katniss' eyes opened and she stared in amazement at the master piece. Cinna had really outdone himself on this dress; it was simply gorgeous. As the stylist was leading Katniss out to the waiting car outside, he filled her in about the details of the tour.

Apart from herself and Cato, both their mentors were coming, along with the escorts, the stylists, the prep teams and Finnick. When Katniss asked why a victor from district four was coming, Cinna replied that they would be dropping Finnick off in district four because his duty for this year was now over and he was allowed to go back home. Cinna also explained that district two would be the last district they were going to and that Katniss had to have all her things packed before heading to her new home. The last thing Cinna told Katniss was that she and Cato would be sharing a room on the train.

Katniss could only gape at the stylist. Before she could question the arrangement, Cinna was gone. Grumbling profanities under her breath, Katniss entered the train on her own and went to the dining room, hoping to know more about why she was sleeping in the same room as Cato.

"I see you aren't too happy about your roommate," Haymitch stated with a chuckle. Not giving an answer to her mentor, Katniss filled a plate and started to eat. When everyone was finished, Haymitch finally explained that the train was too small for everyone to be alone, and that rooming the two newest victors together was the best solution since they were supposed to be a couple. Clearly not happy with this, but understanding the reason, Katniss asked where she would be sleeping. After being directed to the room she had used on the trip to the Capitol, Katniss headed off to the room to get ready for bed.

When she came out of the bathroom, Cato was spread out on the bed, taking up all the space. Katniss took a moment to admire his physique since her co-victor was not wearing a shirt. As she approached the bed, she poked Cato in the ribs and pushed him, indicating that he had to move. Slowly, the blond boy shifted until he was using only half of the bed. Eyeing the covers that reached up to his navel, Katniss sat on the edge of the bed.

"You are wearing something underneath, aren't you?"

Cato opened his eyes and smirked at Katniss. Obviously finding the question funny, Cato chuckled when Katniss glared at him. Cato threw off the covers instead of answering the question. Katniss, who had thrown up her hands to hide her eyes, peaked through the cracks and saw that Cato was wearing boxer shorts. Katniss heaved a sigh in relief; however, she didn't appreciate his teasing and slapped Cato's arm in retaliation. She climbed into the bed and brought the cover up to her waist before curling up into a ball.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, an arm came to rest around her waist and she was pulled back into a hard muscled chest. After a few tense moments where Katniss head herself stiff, her body relaxed when Cato kept his hand still. Curving her body into Cato's huge frame, she only had the time to mumble goodnight before sleep claimed her.

_A/N: Don't hesitate to give me your comments either by reviewing or by PMs. Reviews are really appreciated! _


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

In the morning, Katniss and Cato were woken up by Effie's voice announcing that they had a big, big day. Katniss groaned, not wanting to leave the comfort the bed, and Cato, provided. She had to admit that she liked having Cato near her, especially since his presence seemed to keep the nightmares at bay. After heaving a sigh, Katniss got out of the bed and went in the bathroom with a change of clothes. Another reason Katniss didn't want to get out of bed was that for Effie, every day was a 'big, big day', so that didn't mean today was important.

When she left the bathroom, she stopped and stared at the sight before her. Cato had obviously decided not to wait for his turn in the bathroom since he was getting dressed in the bedroom. Katniss could not tear her gaze away from her co-victor's body. The rippling of his muscles with every one of his movements fascinated the young woman.

It was only when Cato was finished pulling on his t-shirt that he realized he was no longer alone in the room. He spun around and found Katniss' eyes glued to his body. He couldn't repress a surge of triumph at the way the girl was looking at him. Cato shook his head to rid it of these thoughts, knowing Katniss probably didn't like him anyway.

Somewhere inside Cato's heart, a part of his lost humanity was coming back, and it was because of the girl leaning in the doorway leading to the bathroom. He had to admit, the Girl on Fire was growing on him and with every moment spent in her presence, he found himself liking her more and more. Emotions he hadn't felt in a long time resurfaced and Cato wasn't sure if he wanted them to go away again.

Katniss only came out of her daze when Cato snapped his fingers in front of her face. The way Cato's eyes were lit up and held a hint of amusement told the young woman that he had seen her ogling at his physique. A blush rose onto her cheeks and she avoided looking directly in his eyes, preferring to stare at his jaw instead.

"Let's go eat some breakfast before there's no left," Cato suggested.

Katniss nodded and she was glad that Cato wasn't making a comment to embarrass her even more. As the two teenagers left the room, they found themselves in a comfortable silence. Katniss had only interacted with two other boys before Cato, so she didn't know how to act. When Cato didn't comment or question her, Katniss calmed down, understanding that the silence wasn't unnerving for the blond boy.

As Katniss and Cato arrived at the door leading into the dining room, they both reached for the handle at the same time, so their hands collided. A tingle ran up Katniss' arm, starting at the point where she and Cato touched. Liking the feeling of his hand on hers a little too much, Katniss dropped her hand and allowed Cato to open the door for them. When Katniss quickly glanced up and caught Cato's eyes after retracting her hand, she swore she saw disappointment flash through his eyes. However, Katniss forgot about the flask once her eyes fell upon the heaps of food on the table.

Haymitch and Brutus were already eating, so the teens filled themselves a plate and sat down.

"How was your night, Sweetheart?" Haymitch inquired curiously.

"It was fine," Katniss answered shortly, not wanting to share the details of the night with her prying mentor.

Just as Haymitch was about to open his mouth to say something else, a smooth voice spoke before he could. "Leave the poor girl alone, Haymitch. If she and Cato want to have some fun, it's none of our business."

"Thanks for your approval, Finnick," Cato replied, laughter in his voice, while winking at Katniss. If she could have gotten any redder, she would have. All the men in the room burst out laughing at the expression on Katniss' face.

"What is it with you guys? Leave my life out of your conversations!" Katniss said, tired of being the centre of the men's dirty jokes. Her face had cooled off when her temper had risen, for which she was happy. Katniss, who had never blushed before, hated that these people could get such a reaction out of her. She wasn't angry, just slightly annoyed. After all, don't all friends tease each other like this? Taking into account every thing she had gone through with them, Haymitch, Brutus, Finnick and Cato were her friends and she would cherish them forever.

"So, did you, Katniss?"

'_Did I what?'_ Katniss thought to herself. It was obvious that she had missed a part of the conversation and her confusion must have shone because Finnick had to stifle a laugh.

"Did you do something interesting during the night?" Brutus repeated the question.

"No!" Katniss responded without missing a beat. "We only slept together."

A silent moment passed, then the men were all roaring with laughter. It took Katniss an instant to understand why they were all laughing, but then she turned bright red. She had said that she and Cato had slept together. Only, she meant it in the literal sense, not the dirty one.

"It… Uhm…. I mean that – Uh," Katniss stumbled around to find the words, but couldn't so she gave up and suffered the teasing in a brooding silence. When the laughter died down around the table, Katniss glared at them all. "What I meant to say, is that we didn't do anything other than sleep. No, Brutus, we did not have sex, we only… slept," Katniss finished lamely, trying not to recall the images of Cato's half-naked body.

"We know, Sweetheart. We didn't hear anything last night coming from your room, and we're just teasing you 'cause of your reaction to the subject."

Katniss avoided meeting her mentor's eyes and kept her head down for the rest of the meal.

"We will be arriving in District one tomorrow morning. The prep teams will be waiting for you two just before nine and will have you ready for your stylists by eleven o'clock. As for the speech, well, you'll see once on stage. The rest of the events will be explained as the day goes by," Haymitch explained to Cato and Katniss once everyone was finished eating.

Finnick added his piece of advice, saying that it would be best if both of them were well rested; therefore, going to bed early was a great idea.

Both Katniss and Cato accepted the advice, and Katniss left the room to find something to do to occupy her mind for the rest of the day.

Time flew by and soon, supper was being served. After enjoying the meal, Katniss roamed the train, trying to find a room where she could watch a movie. As an Avox was setting up the movie, Cato entered the room. When he saw that Katniss was already there, Cato took a seat next to her on the couch, deciding that he was going to watch the movie with her.

As Katniss and Cato watched the movie, they were both acutely aware of the other sitting right next to them. When the movie drew to an end, the co-victors decided to watch another one before going to bed. However, around the middle of the movie, Katniss suddenly became exhausted and moved closer to Cato in order to learn on his shoulder.

A few minutes went by, but the position Cato and Katniss were in wasn't comfortable for the male. Shifting his position, he moved Katniss so that her head and part of her upper body were resting on his lap. When the movie finished, Katniss was still lying on Cato's thighs and couldn't make herself move, even when Cato gently probed her to get up she refused to move. Chuckling at the stubborn girl in his lap, Cato lifted her into his arms and stood up. Startled at the sudden motion, Katniss circled Cato's neck with her arms and held on tightly.

Cato carried Katniss back to their room and deposited her on the bed. By that time, Katniss was already half asleep, having been lulled to sleep by the rocking motion made by Cato's gait. Seeing the young woman on the verge of sleep, Cato shook her a little, trying to make her regain some consciousness.

"Katniss, come on! You can't sleep in your clothes, it'll be uncomfortable!"

Katniss pouted at the male before sitting up and removing her shirt. When Cato saw Katniss was about to undress, he had turned around to give her privacy. While waiting for it to be okay to face the bed, Cato changed into his nightwear which meant he took every thing off except his boxers.

Lying back down, Katniss stripped her pants and threw them off the bed. By the time Cato was told it was alright to face the bed, Katniss was only in her bra and underwear and was curled up into a ball. Shaking his head with a small smile, Cato lay down on his back next to her.

Not a minute later, Katniss had twisted out of her position and was now resting with her head on Cato's chest and had thrown an arm carelessly over his abdomen. The ex-tributes went to sleep with Katniss using Cato as a pillow.

As always when Cato was sleeping with her, Katniss' nightmares were inexistent.

_A/N: So, this is it, chapter ten is done! I hope you like it. Next chapter is the tour and farewells. _

_I want to thank everyone who reads this story. And I can't thank the people who review enough! You guys are awesome! _


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

That morning, Cato and Katniss were woken up once again by Effie banging on the door, announcing the arrival of their Prep Teams. Getting up and letting her Prep Team take her away for her room, Katniss couldn't help but be terrified about the beginning of the tour. She had killed both of District One's tributes. The citizens of the district were bound to hate her. After all, why should she live if their children were dead? The guilt she felt about killing Glimmer and Marvel would always stay with her and Katniss wasn't sure if she could one day find the courage to forgive herself about the deaths she had caused.

Katniss shut off her mind and allowed numbness to fill her heart, dulling her emotions until they didn't exist anymore. She couldn't let herself give into her pain; she still had to play her role perfectly. There would be time later to deal with her feelings without ruining the image she was trying so hard to project.

Relief washed through her body when Cinna finally entered the room and motioned the Prep Team away. As always when the stylist was near her, Katniss felt a sense of calm and peace overwhelm her entire being, replacing the numbness.

Not long after Katniss was ready, the train pulled up in District One. Katniss' heart started to beat faster and the peacefulness left her heart, leaving her with her guilt. The young woman froze before the doors and couldn't make herself move forward. It wasn't until a strong arm wrapped itself around her waist and squeezed her tightly that Katniss remembered how to breathe correctly. Finding the courage to face the people of District One with Cato by her side, Katniss walked out of the train.

Luckily, the victors didn't have to make up a speech, it was already written for them, all Katniss and Cato had to do was read it. Gaining confidence from Cato, Katniss held her head high and walked tall, even though she avoided looking directly into someone's eyes. She knew all these people would want was her death.

Cato stayed by Katniss' side the whole time and always touched her in some way. However, even with his intimidating presence by her side, Katniss couldn't relax at all while in District One. She was extremely relieved when it came time to leave.

That night, Katniss fell asleep alone and dreamed of Glimmer and Marvels' deaths. She woke up the next morning with a massive headache and a racing heart. Knowing that they should be nearing District Three, Katniss got up and went to grab herself some breakfast before going back to her room. Not ten minutes later, her Prep Team came through the door and started their work. This time, it didn't take too much time, since she had already been worked on.

While in District Three, Katniss could concentrate on her acting more than in the previous district. She still felt bad about the deaths of these two tributes; however, she wasn't the one who killed them, so she felt before than in District One. The day went by fast and soon, the two newest victors found themselves being herded back onto the train.

Leaving District Four was hard for Katniss, because Finnick was leaving them to stay in his District. Parting ways with the District Four victor was sad. Katniss had grown to love and appreciate the flirtatious victor and she would miss him.

For both victors, touring Districts Five to Ten was relatively easy because they didn't know the tributes personally. However, Katniss wasn't looking forward to arriving in District Eleven at all. She would have to face Rue's family, along with Thresh's. Hopefully, the people in District Eleven would be looking at Cato and blaming him for Thresh's death. As if the Universe wanted to go against her wishes, during the tour in the district, people were always watching her. Katniss couldn't take a step without someone either looking at her with hope or with pity. When the victors were called back to the train, Katniss cast one last look at the people gathered around the train station before entering the train and letting the memories of the District fade away to the back of her mind.

Knowing that tomorrow they would arrive at her home, Katniss couldn't help but feel excited. Then, she remembered that she would also have to say her farewells to her family and friends. Her mood immediately sobered up. How could she live without her precious sister by her side? What would life be without being able to go into the forest and hunt with Gale? Many questions assaulted her brain, and she didn't have the answer to any of them…

That night, Katniss stayed up late, trying to find a way to tell everyone about her change of home. If it wasn't for Cato who got up and practically dragged her to bed at eleven thirty, Katniss wouldn't have gone to bed. As she lay awake in bed, she imagined telling her sister goodbye, and Katniss had to stifle a sob. At that point, Cato twisted around to face the young woman and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his body. It was only then, wrapped into strong and solid arms that Katniss' worries went away and that sleep finally claimed her.

_A/N: So, this is chapter eleven. I know I said there would be the farewells, but I decided to put them into the next chapter. I have to say that I don't really like this chapter but it had to be written. Just take note that I've written it in a hurry and late at night. Sorry if it doesn't meet your expectations. Also, my updates will probably take more time since I am back to school! _

_Thank you all for the reviews, the favourites and the follows! Love you guys a lot! _


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

District twelve: the poorest of all the districts in Panem, and home to Katniss Everdeen; the Girl on Fire. That was where the co-victors of the seventy-fourth Huger Games were currently heading to. There, Katniss would have to say goodbye to her family, her friends and her memories. Not only that, but she would be living in District two with Cato, away from everything that was familiar to her.

Katniss shook her head, clearing away the thoughts about her new 'home'. She would have enough time to worry about it later; she didn't have to dwell on that fact at the moment. After all, in a few moments, she would be reunited with her loved ones, even though it was only for a short while. As the young woman started to recognize the scenery, she exited her room and went to the dining room, which was closer to the exit door of the train. She could feel her excitement mounting, and for a moment, she let herself forget she would have to leave her district very soon.

As the train station appeared into view, Katniss' heart almost burst with happiness. There was a huge crowd waiting around the station. The young woman could swear the whole district was out there waiting for her arrival. Even though she was amazed at the sight of so many people gathered together when it wasn't for the Reaping, there were only a handful of them she really wanted to see.

When the train started to slow down, Katniss was joined by Haymitch, Brutus, Effie, and Cato. Ignoring everyone surrounding her, Katniss concentrated on the fact that she would be able to hold her sister in her arms in a matter of minutes. Once the doors opened, Katniss was off like a shot, and with her quick hunter's eyes, she managed to scan the whole area in only seconds. There she was; her little duck was sitting atop Gale's shoulders. Zeroing into their destination, the determined woman made herself a path to Gale and Prim.

Chants of her name filled the air, but they were ignored as Katniss hurried towards her loved ones. Once the path was cleared to her sister, who Gale had put down, Katniss sprinted in Primrose's direction as fast as she could. Her knees weakened with relief when she finally held her dear sibling's body in her arms. Clutching each other tightly, the sisters both shed tears as they were finally reunited. When their embrace ended, Katniss was swept into the air as Gale tackled her into a huge bear hug. Then came the time to hug her mother.

"I didn't go away this time, Katniss. I kept my promise to you," Mrs Everdeen assured.

"I'm happy for you, mom," Katniss replied. And she was, happy that is. If her mother really had kept it together for Prim, then Katniss could finally think about starting to forgive her maternal figure for her past actions. Hugging her mom tightly she whispered her thanks to her for taking charge of the house and keeping herself and her youngest daughter alive and well.

The happy reunion was broken up when Haymitch staggered over to them and pulled Katniss away. Katniss smiled sheepishly at her mentor as Haymitch led her over to the stage. Delivering the same speech she had in the previous district, she was then allowed to wander around freely with a reminder of the time to board the train and to have her things with her.

Not wanting to waste a moment of her time with her family, Katniss left to go in search of them, but was stopped when a firm hand closed around her shoulder. Looking back at the person holding her still, Katniss' eyes met cold blue ones. Finally remembering there was another member in the tour, Katniss turned to face Cato, waiting to see what he would say. Cato's eyes flickered to something behind the young woman's shoulder before meeting her gaze once again. As Katniss stared into the eyes of her co-victor, she noticed the spark of unease in them, along with something akin to guilt.

Softening at the look in Cato's eyes, knowing he was truly sorry and having seen a different side of him, a softer side of him, Katniss took pity on the ex-Career. She reached up and took his hand in hers before starting to move towards the gathering of people awaiting her at the bottom of the stage. Katniss could feel the tension rolling off Cato's body as if it was a tangible thing. She squeezed his hand in hers to give him some courage. The first person that reached her once she was off the stage was her sister. As though not noticing the huge man beside Katniss, Prim wrapped her arms around her sister again; making sure it wasn't her imagination playing tricks on her mind.

Once Katniss had untangled herself out of Prim's embrace, she made eye-contact with the young girl.

"Prim, I would like for you to meet Cato," Katniss announced, watching Prim's eyes dart towards the person in question before coming back to rest on Katniss. A little bit of fear had crept into her expression. Wanting her sister to feel comfortable around her co-victor, and friend, Katniss placed her unused hand on Prim's frail shoulder. "Cato isn't who you think he is. He went through a lot in his life and the person you saw in the Games isn't the real him. During the last few days, I got to know who he really is, and I hope you can look beyond what you saw on TV and see the truth for yourself."

Prim nodded slowly, understanding the wisdom of her older sister's words. After all, Cato hadn't killed Katniss, even when he could have so easily, so he must have a good side. Steeling her resolve to not be scared of the blond teenager, Prim turned towards Cato and held out her hand. Slowly, Cato reached out and took the little girl's hand in his huge one.

"Hi. I'm Primrose, but everyone calls me Prim. I'm Katniss' sister. I wanted to thank you for letting her live."

Surprised that the girl was talking to him, it took a moment before Cato could find an answer. "I'm Cato. And you're welcome for not killing Katniss. I have to say that I am extremely happy to be here with her, your sister is an amazing person and I'm glad to have met her."

With that said, the festivities started and everyone had fun, even Cato.

_A/N: I know I said I would do the farewells, but I keep procrastinating... Next chapter, I promise. _

_Thank you for all the reviews, and please keep leaving them, they help a lot, even though I know I haven't been doing a good with updating the story. Sorry! Until next time. _


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen 

As the day progressed further, Katniss found herself relaxing and enjoying the numerous conversations she had. Cato came and went, doing his own little thing when the cold shoulders and mean stares were too much, but he always came back to spend some time with Katniss before being driven away from the young woman. When the clock struck nine, Katniss came back down from her happy cloud as the realization of her impending departure weighed down on her conscience. Katniss must have indicated her tension in some way because her little sister was now looking up at her inquisitively. Knowing that it was almost time to get her things packed and to leave her home, Katniss gathered her group and made her way towards her little home.

On the way, no one said anything. All that was heard was the sound of the leaves rustling gently under the breeze and the sound of soft footfalls. Katniss had asked Cato to come along, not wanting to leave him alone to deal with the district's animosity about his presence. While her mother, Prim, Madge, Gale, and his family all settled down in chairs, Katniss stood in front of them with Cato by her side. Even though it broke her heart to say goodbye to everyone, she knew it had to be done in order for them all to stay safe.

"This is really hard for me to say, so please listen to all I have to say before interrupting," Katniss said. Everyone nodded, and understood that whatever they were going to learn wouldn't please them one bit. Katniss took a deep breath and leaned back until her back was resting against Cato's chest. Knowing that the strong yet caring woman was seeking some sort of comfort and reassurance, Cato wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to him, showing her without words that he was there for her and that she could lean on him whenever. Cato could almost feel some tension leave Katniss' body; however, everyone in the room, except Prim, tensed as they waited for Cato to do something horrible and drastic.

Katniss saw the reaction to her closeness with her co-victor, but couldn't bring herself to concentrate on that at the moment. Right now, she had to tell them about President Snow's order. She shivered at the thought of the evil man. _Concentrate, Katniss,_ she scolded herself.

"President Snow is forcing me to move to district two with Cato. Apparently, I've started a rebellion and he seems to think district two is the 'safest' place for me right now since they would never dare rebel. Also, if I move in with Cato, it will really prove that I wasn't trying to revolt, but that I really couldn't live without him by my side." There was a pause after the information was given. Once everything had been assimilated, a heavy silence descended in the room and everyone's eyes were on the couple standing in front.

Not able to bear the stares any longer after a couple of moments, Katniss twitched and shifted around nervously, awaiting the upcoming outrage she was sure would happen. And it did. All at once, as if they had been released from a spell, Mrs Everdeen, Prim, Madge, Gale, and his family were all on their feet either complaining about the unfairness of it all and the injustice of Katniss' punishment, or simply crying and begging Katniss not to leave them. The last was done by Prim and Gale's little siblings. Overwhelmed by all the sudden noise, Katniss backed away and cuddled her frame more firmly against Cato.

Sensing Katniss' dislike of all the protesting, Cato raised his voice until he was heard and told everyone to calm down and sit because they were upsetting the girl in question. Somewhat reluctantly, they all obeyed the ex-Career. When they all had settled down again, Katniss muttered her thanks to Cato and turned back to her family and friends. "I don't like leaving here, but I'll do it to keep all of you guys safe and sound." Katniss also explained that Cato had changed and that he was someone important to her now. "He'll keep me safe. Just as I hope you will keep each other out of trouble. And please, please, don't join into any rebel groups, because I can't save you once you put yourselves in the line of fire."

With that last demand, Katniss walked to her and Prim's room to grab all her things. Leaving her bow in the forest, the most-prized possession she was taking with her was her father's hunting jacket. Leaving on her bed a couple of letters addressed to the Mellarks and to her family, she left her room taking her things and her memories with her to her new life. Once she was back in the living room, she hugged everyone without a word and left the silent household standing there watching her leave with Cato.

All the way to the train, Katniss fought back her tears. However, once she was on board, she ran to her room, threw herself onto the bed and let her tears flow. As though mocking her, only silent tears ran down her face, and it was only when Cato entered the room and held her in his lap that her whole frame began to rock as sobs tore through her throat. The young woman felt as though every bone in her body was broken and her heart had shattered. Katniss cried for a long time, not able to control her feelings, she let them have their way until her tears had all ran out and her vocal chords were raw from her many cries.

Cato brought both himself and Katniss down onto the bed and wrapped them in the blanket. Promising Katniss to stay by her side through everything, he kept the young woman in his arms until she gained control, and even then, he didn't let her go for the entire night.

When they were awoken by the sun the next morning, they were still wrapped in each other's arms and in the same position they had fallen asleep in the night before.

_A/N: Thank you for the reviews!_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The trip back to district two seemed to last a life-time for both of the young victors. While Cato was anxiously waiting to see his family and friends again, Katniss was afraid of the reception she would receive. After all, she was a Seam rat from district twelve, the poorest district in Panem. Not only that, but Katniss had stolen Cato's victory along with his chance to win with his district partner Clove, who was probably missed at home.

Mostly, to avoid having a panic attack, in front of everyone, Katniss kept out of the way and when she was with the rest of the gang, she pestered Cato and Brutus with questions about their home and life style. From the information she had gathered, Katniss knew that she wouldn't fit in easily and adapt fast to the life in the Career district.

After supper, when darkness had filled each and every corner of the train, Katniss decided to go to bed, hoping that her fears would disappear while she rested. Sadly, her nightmares were filled with horrible scenarios in which she was meeting Cato's family and their rejection turned Cato away from her.

Cato and Katniss had each gotten a single room when Finnick had left them to remain in his home district, but every night the co-victors always ended up falling asleep together in the same bed. Katniss had decided to try sleeping on her own; grown woman usually slept alone when not married and Katniss needed to gain her courage and strength back. However, the night terrors came back in full force without Cato there to keep them at bay. Many times Katniss woke up, her heart frantically beating against her rib-cage and she only got an hour of rest before she woke up again.

Around one o'clock, Katniss jerked awake after a particularly atrocious dream, her covers sticking to her sweating skin, her pillow drenched in tears and her breaths coming out in rapid pants. She knew she wouldn't be able to close her eyes again without reliving the memory, so she got up and walked out of her room. As she wandered through the many halls in the train, she came upon a room where the lights were still on and so was the television. Entering the room and closing the television, Katniss saw the reflection of someone lying on one of the couches in the room once the screen was turned off. Turning around, the young woman realized that Cato had drifted off to sleep while watching a program.

Knowing that he surely wasn't comfortable sleeping on the small couch, Katniss approached until she could touch him. When she was within touching distance, the brown haired girl noticed that the ex-Career's eyelids were moving a lot and that his breaths were a little quicker than usual. Cato was, by the looks of it, having a nightmare. So, gently, Katniss shook his shoulder, intending to rouse him from his agitated slumber. At her hand's contact with his muscular shoulder, Cato's eyes flew open and, had his reflexes been slower, his first would have hit Katniss' jaw, doubtlessly knocking her out.

"Katniss...," Cato whispered as he exhaled. "I'm so sorry, I thought you were..."

As Cato's voice trailed off, Katniss, understanding why he had reacted so strongly after having a nightmare, shook her head and smiled at him before taking his hand in hers to give it a soft squeeze and releasing it. As her heartbeat decreased its accelerated rhythm, Katniss spoke: "It's okay. I should have known better than to wake you up and stay near when you were having a nightmare."

Cato got up and stretched his tall form slowly; freeing his muscles from the tension they had accumulated while he slept on the hard couch. Finally awake enough, Cato looked over Katniss carefully; after all, he knew there was surely a reason why she was here instead of getting her beauty rest. What he saw in her posture was similar to how his younger siblings looked when they had been seriously spooked out by something.

"You okay?"

Katniss shook her head in denial as tears filled her grey eyes. "I had a nightmare, nightmares actually. About meeting your family and being hated by them. It was horrible!"

Cato extended his arms and gathered the distressed woman against his chest. "What they think of you won't change what I think, I swear. My thoughts aren't theirs to control." He marked a pause and waited until he felt Katniss stop shaking. "Come on, we both need our rest for tomorrow." Tenderly, he led her back to her room and at her insistence, stayed with her for the night. Taking off his shirt and shoes, he slipped under the covers and lay on his back. Just as Cato was about to fall asleep, he felt a slender hand go around his stomach and a lean body pressed against his side.

After a few tense moments, both teenagers relaxed and Cato's arms wrapped around Katniss' waist tightly while her head came to rest between his neck and his shoulder.

"Thank you." The words are uttered so softly that Cato almost didn't hear them.

"Why?" Cato questioned, bewildered by Katniss' words.

"For not hating me and treating me like dirt."

"You're not dirt, Katniss. You're strong and compassionate, which are the reasons why I'm still alive. So, I should be the one thanking you," replied Cato. He felt Katniss' smile against his skin and unfamiliar warmth coursed through his veins, heading for his cold, supposedly dead heart. He had gotten to learn more about his co-victor and slowly a new emotion had begun to fill his heart: something stronger than friendship. The Girl on Fire had changed him, turning him back to his old self, to the person he was before his father had successfully altered him.

Laying a soft kiss on the crown of her head, Cato fell asleep, cuddling Katniss into the circle of his arms. Felling safe once again and knowing Cato's comforting presence would keep the nightmares away, Katniss followed him shortly after into the darkness.

_A/N: I'm extremely sorry for not updating in so long! I had started writing this chapter about a month ago, but somehow I hadn't saved it right, so I lost it all. To those who write you probably understand my frustration at losing all the hard work... When I started writing the chapter again, I was still angry and everything came out wrong, so... Anyways, here it is and I hope you aren't too mad at me. Please excuse the grammatical errors!_

_Thank you all for the kind reviews!  
_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It was Effie's overly enthousiastic voice that pulled the teenagers out of their slumber. Groaning at the abrupt awakening, Katniss slowly peeled her eyelids open. For a moment, she was confused, but her mind caught up to what her eyes were seeing: she was laying almost completly on top of Cato. Katniss could feel the firm muscles pressed against her side. Her hand was on Cato's chest and his arms were encircling her waist, keeping her close. The temperature in the room suddenly went up a couple of degrees. Slowly, her eyes trailed up Cato's chiseled body until they finally met his icy blue eyes whose look made Katniss blush immediately. She decided it was a prefect time to move out of bed; especially since she knew someone was bound to come get them soon.

As she shifted her body in order to leave the bed, she felt something hard brush against her thigh, and knowing how she was positioned, she had a pretty good idea of what she had accidently touched. Never having been with guy, Katniss didn't know what to do and how to react in this situation; in fact, confusion, awkwardness and embarrassement raged war in her heart.

Seeing the look in Katniss' face, Cato avoided teasing her and didn't make any comment. Instead, he silently helped her maneuver until she was safely standing near the bed without any other intimate contact. Once Katniss was out of the bed, Cato got up, grabbed a change of clothes and entered the bathroom, making sure to lock the door.

While her co-victor was in the shower, Katniss sat on the edge of the bed with a faraway expression on her face. Suddenly, the uneasy feeling she had in the pit of her stomach grew too much and she started to laugh. Not a happy laugh, but a confused one. It helped to evacuate some of Katniss' tension; however, the young woman still had a lot on her mind and she knew she would soon have to face the growing feelings she had for the blond boy she had rescued. On that thought, Katniss felt more confusion seeping into her once closed-off heart. Why was she enjoying Cato's presence when he had killed so many, including her Boy with the Bread? Sure, she understood that during the Games it was kill or be killed, but why was she starting to feel something other than friendship for the ex-tribute from district two?

While Katniss was thinking about her emotions, Cato was taking a cold shower and having eerily similar thoughts. How could he, a citizen of Panem's richest district, feel anything for a girl from the poorest district of all? Thing was, he found he no longer cared about his status or what people thought of his relation with Katniss. He had finally found someone who geniuenly cared for his well-being and who made him want to be a better person. Cato didn't know a lot about love, having never witnessed it between his parents, all he knew about was fraternal love, but never one that came from his father. Somehow, he could see himself really falling in love and creating his own family with Katniss. They were both fighters and had proven that they at least had some feelings for each other. But, would Katniss ever see him in the way he wanted her to see him: as a potential love interest?

Shaking his head to get rid of his deep thoughts, Cato left the bathroom, only to stop short at the sight that awaited him. Katniss was sitting on the bed and was looking slightly distressed with her head held between her small hands as though it weighed a thousand pounds.

"Hey," Cato said, breaking into the girl's thoughts as he announced his presence.

Katniss lifted her head and stared at him for moment. "I'm sorry, about earlier," she whispered, confusion spreading from her grey eyes to her voice. Immediately, Cato knew what the girl was refering to. Had she never spent time with a guy to apologize for such a small thing? After all, it had been an accident...

Pushing his question aside, Cato waved her apology away. "No matter, accidents happen. Come on, we should go eat before our Prep teams arrive."

After breakfast, Cato and Katniss were separated as their teams took them into different rooms to get them ready for their arrival in district two. When both teens were dressed and beautified, they were led back to wait near the door of the train. Just before they came to a complete stop, good lucks were uttered by the gathering.

Even before the doors of the train opened to let the victors out, chantings of Cato's name were heard. Just as the doors were about to open, Cato quickly grabbed Katniss' hand and gave it a comforting squeze before letting go and putting on his empty face, as did Katniss. Even though the two victors were standing side by side, they ignored each other in order to appear strong individually.

Of course, no one paid attention to Katniss except for the glares and the indifferent stares. Silently, Katniss stood beside Cato, letting his speak as she scanned the crowd. Her sharp eyes easily found what she was sure was Clove's family; however, only the little girl seemed to be greiving her loss. Moving on, Katniss' eyes landed on what she believed to be Cato's family. It was hard to be sure of who belonged to what family because, like district twelve, most of the families looked somewhat alike. After receiving a loath-filled stare from the oldest man, Katniss looked away.

All too soon, Katniss felt herself being gently tugged along as Cato left the platform to mingle with his district's people. The crowd parted for the victors and allowed them a cleared path to Cato's family. As they moved closer to the group of people she had guessed to be Cato's family, Katniss felt a small shiver run up her spine and wondered if Cato had dreaded meeting her family as much as she dreaded meeting his. Just as Katniss was about to turn around and get back into the train, a young girl of about eight years old came running out from behind the adults and made a beeline for Cato, jumping into his arms with a joyous shout.

Katniss' heart softened when she saw how tenderly the huge male was holding the child. The happiness and the love that shone in his eyes proved that Cato actually could feel something and that he wasn't as indifferent and brutal as he had made everyone believe. Seeing him interacting with the girl made Katniss' heart long to be with her own sister, but that wouldn't happen. However, this new side of her co-victor put a lot of things into perspective; mainly, it made Katniss realise that he too was fighting for family in the Arena and that he deserved to be loved and cared for. These revelations made Katniss understand that maybe she could allow herself to feel something more than friendship for Cato and that maybe he could reciprocate the feelings...


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Before Cato could introduce Katniss to his family, the festivities began and the newest victors were pulled towards the buffet; however, they were separated in the process and Katniss didn't feel like searching for Cato in the huge crowd. Instead, she joined Haymitch and Brutus at their table, where she was welcomed with sympathic smiles from the men.

As Katniss ate in silence, she observed the people around. They all seemed to be healthy and relatively well fed. But most of all, they all sported the haughty, arrogant look the Careers wore during the Games. Fitting in here would be impossible for the young woman: with her dark colouring and her thin frame, she stood out from the white-skinned, blue-eyed citizens in district two.

"It will be hard for you to go unnoticed here, Katniss," Brutus said putting the girl's thoughts into words with a concerned glint in his eyes. "The only way you will be left unbothered is if you make them respect you for something you excel at and something they have a hard time doing. Something like archery."

"I can do that. I'll ask Cato to take me to the training center with him as soon as possible," Katniss replied. "But will it be enough to make them leave me alone?"

"It should be, Sweetheart. If it doesn't work, I'm sure Brutus will do something to make your life easier if Cato doesn't beat him to it," Haymitch answered.

"Cato, do something to help me? You must be living in another world than mine, Haymitch. All Cato does, he does it for the cameras and to keep his loved ones safe. I'm from district twelve, remember? A Seam Rat." Bitterness coloured her tone as she voiced her thoughts.

"Are you sure I'm the one who is living in another world, Sweetheart?" Haymitch asked in a condescending voice.

"The boy's been changing in the past days. He's going back to the old Cato, the one before he was brought to the training center at the age of six," Brutus commented.

"You're just jerking my chain. Anyways, what makes you think I actually like the boy, huh?"

"You're in denial about what you are feeling, Katniss," Haymitch said in a soft tone. "Just because you were hurt by almost every person you have loved doesn't mean you should close yourself off to the idea of loving and of being loved."

Katniss' eyes filled with tears as she thought about every person that she had lost: her father, her mother when she went into depression, Peeta, and now Prim. The young woman had been hurt so many times that it was hard for her to open her heart to someone for fear of losing them, too. Sadly, Cato had already entered a part of her heart, but Katniss was fighting as hard as she could against her feelings and she refused to let him in anymore because she was afraid of being used and discarded like a rag doll. However, a part of Katniss longed to feel safe in someone's arms and to just let herself go and lower all her defenses.

"Since my father's death, I've had to be the strong one, the one on whom my family could count on, who provided for them. I never thought I'd find myself in this kind of situation. I never wanted to be married and to have kids, but here I am, being forced into this..." Katniss whispered, fighting to control her tears.

"I know, I've seen you become the fighter that you now are, I've seen you struggle with the weight of taking care of your sister and of your mother over the years. But, because of that you have become a great, strong and reliable woman. A woman that any man would love to have as his wife. And no one said anything about having children yet or getting married, you have time to get used to living with a man. For what it's worth, Katniss, I'm proud of you," Haymitch stated in a strong voice devoid of any slurring.

Katniss looked down at the table to control the rush of emotions that threatened to choke her. During the time spent in the Capitol, Katniss had come to appreciate her mentor and knowing that he thought so highly of her filled her with warmth she had only felt with her father.

"Thanks, Haymitch, it means a lot to me, what you said."

Someone cleared their throat from behind and the three victors turned around to face the person. A tall woman was standing next to the table with a wiggling child in her arms. Brutus stood up and gave a careful hug and kiss to the woman before introducing her as his wife, Layla. Katniss vaguely remembered Brutus talking about her and his child. At that time, she hadn't believed the man, but now she had proof.

"Do you mind watching after Cassie for some time, Brutus. I would love to join the party, but I can't with her in my arms." The woman's voice was soft, pleading and Brutus agreed to watch the four year old. Just before she left after handing the child to it's father, Layla turned towards Katniss with a warm smile that reached her eyes. "I want to congratulate you for what you did. Volonteering for your sister was very brave and you won my heart right from the start. If you ever need something, don't hesitate to come see me."

Watching the woman walk away, Katniss felt something flutter in her stomach. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here after all. She knew that Brutus would have her back, she already met someone who didn't care where she came from, and it would seem as though Cato might have some feelings for her, too, according to Haymitch and Brutus.

A couple of minutes went by in silence as the three adults are lost in their thoughts, when suddenly Cassie jumped off Brutus' lap and, before he could catch her, she ran off into the crowd. Haymitch, Brutus and Katniss looked at each other in horror before they sprang into action and started looking for the girl.

Soon, everyone had stopped partying and were frantically searching for the little girl. Katniss suggested that someone go look around her home and a group left running towards the house.

"Where would a child go if they were running away from a loud crowd?" Katniss wondered out loud. She remembered that Brutus had mentioned that his child loved water and swimming. "Are there any rivers close by?" Katniss raised her voice in order to be heard.

A fit man next to her gave her directions while eyeing her warily. Thanking him, Katniss took off at a dead run, hoping she wouldn't be too late to keep Cassie out of the water. Just as she rounded the last corner at a sprint, she saw the little girl enter the river and be caught by the current. Pushing herself faster, Katniss jumped into the water and surfaced not too far from the child. Navigating though the strong current to reach Cassie took a lot of her energy. Keeping Cassie wrapped safely in her arms, she used her legs to slow herself down while she called out for help.

However, not one to wait aroung to be rescued and knowing she might not have been heard, Katniss found her footing on a rock and pushed herself near the bank, where the river wasn't as deep. Soon enough, she was hitting rocks with her feet and pushing herself closer to the land. At one time she tried getting out, but she fell back in as the current caught her up again. Katniss' legs were tiring and she didn't know how much longer she could keep herself and Cassie afloat.

Just as she was about to give up, the ground underneath rose and she finally got the boost she desperately needed to pull her body out of the water. When she was safely out of the water, her adrenaine rush dwindled until it was gone. The first thing she did was make sure Cassie was okay. Other than feeling scared, the little girl was fine, but she refused to let go of her savior.

Getting off the ground, Katniss made her way up the path she had taken to get there; however, this time she walked because she was holding someone and her legs felt like they were going to all off.

When Katniss got back to where the party had taken place, the first thing she saw was the Peacekeepers that were gathered around and helping to look for the lost child. The second thing was Brutus holding Layla against him and the woman's shoulders shaking with sobs.

"It's okay," Katniss yelled over the noise as she hurried towards the couple. "I've got her!"

Brutus and Layla's heads snapped around to look at Katniss and when the distraught parents laid eyes on their daughter, they quickly ran over.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Cassie sobbed as she reached for her mother. As they embraced their daughter, people gathered around to witness the reunion. Silently, Katniss moved away and went to the edges of the crowd. Wringing her wet clothes, Katniss shivered in the cold night air as she looked around to locate Cato to ask him to take her to their house so she could change into dry clothes.

"Katniss Everdeen, where are you? Come here!" a smooth, deep male voice yelled from the middle of the gathering. Freezing up at the command in the voice, it took her moment to call back and to start moving forward to the center of the crowd. When she was standing in front of a Peacekeeper and Brutus, she trembled sightly, thinking that they might think she was the one to push the girl in the water.

Katniss was extremely surprised when Brutus came forward and hugged her, murmuring thanks over and over again. When she was released, she must have looked confused, because Brutus and the Peacekeeper laughed at her expression.

"What, you've never been hugged before?" the Peacekeeper, whose name tag said Gabriel and stated that he was the Head Peacekeeper, asked.

Katniss glanced around nervously. "Hum... I just did what everyone would have had they found her," she stated in a questioning voice. "Why should I be hugged and thanked?"

"You're seriously asking that question?" Brutus asked, disbelief written all over his features. "When you brought food home for your family, didn't they thank you for it? Didn't they show you their appreciation?"

"My mom could have starved for all she cared since my dad passed away and Prim, well, she used to be too young to understand that bringing home food was hard for me and after that she just knew I'd do about anything to feed us. After all, I also did it to keep myself alive," Katniss murmured, unnerved by the listening crowd.

"You didn't have a childhood at all, did you?" someone in the crowd asked.

"I did what I had to in order to stay alive. In my home district, we grow up fast and help our family or we die."

"You've earned my respect, that's for sure. What you did was remarkable, all the more because it was for someone you don't even know. However, I think it's a good idea if you head on home, take a long, hot bath before going to bed. You look chilled and beat," Gabriel told Katniss when he observed her long enough to notice her dripping wet clothes and the weary look in her eyes.

Pride kept Katniss from sighing with relief when the Peacekeeper uttered those words to her. Soon, Cato had made a path to her and, placing an arm around her waist, he guided Katniss out of the crowd and towards their shared house in the victors village. About half-way to the house, Katniss' legs gave out under her weight and Cato caught her in time before swinging her up into his arms and carrying her bridal style into the house, then into the bathroom where he sat her on the toilette lid and filled a bath with hot water.

Seeing Katniss struggle to take off her clothes, Cato helped her get them off her wet skin. When Katniss was left standing in her underclothes, Cato turned around and waited to hear her getting into the tub before turning back.

"You were wonderful today. I was proud to be able to say that you were my co-victor, my equal. Take your time in the bath, then change into these pyjamas and join me in the bed. Tomorrow, you'll meet my family and I'll show you around my district."

Before leaving, Cato bent down until his head was near Katniss'. Searching her eyes for a moment, he then brushed his lips against hers lightly once before leaving and closing the door behind. Left alone, Katniss raised a hand to touch her lips. A pleasant heat lingered there although Cato's lips were gone. As she climbed into the bed ten minutes later, she could still feel Cato's lips against her own and she fell asleep bathed in a comforting warmth. _Maybe he does like me..._ was her last thought before she drifted.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen

The next morning, Katniss woke up alone in the bed. Reaching out a hand to feel the empty covers next to her, Katniss touched a piece of paper. Opening it, she found it was a note from Cato saying he was downstairs and that she should get dressed for the day, then meet him there. Stretching her sore muscles, Katniss got up and went into the bathroom to get changed. As she got ready for the upcoming day, she became nervous at the prospect of meeting Cato's family, especially his father.

Swallowing hard, she steeled herself for the introductions and went downstairs. She followed the smell of food to the kitchen where she found Cato sitting at the table with the blond girl on his lap, an older woman was standing in front of the stove, a man that ressembled Cato was holding a baby in his arms while another woman, that one younger, was helping make the food. The man who had glared at her yesterday was no where to be seen.

Silently, Katniss stayed in the doorway as she watched the family interact. The family picture they made reminded her a lot of how her family was before her father died in the mines. Katniss observed as Cato tickled the girl on his lap and smiled at the way her co-victor seemed more relaxed surrounded by his loved ones.

"To the table everyone. Breakfast's ready!" ordered the woman at the stove as she brought over the food to the table.

Light blue eyes met Katniss' as the younger woman turned around to settle herself in a chair. A smile lifted the corners of the woman's lips and she gestured for Katniss to join them. Nervously, the young victor came forward and stood next to an empty place between the older woman and the other man. Seeing Katniss appear, Cato smiled encouragingly at her, which helped calm her nerves down.

"Everyone," Cato said, catching everyone's attention, "this is Katniss, my co-victor. Katniss, you're sitting next to my mom, Mathilda, and my twin, Nicholas. His wife is Nissa and their child is Brittany. And this monkey next to me is my sister, Alicia."

Katniss looked at everyone as Cato pointed them out. Commiting their names to her memory, she relaxed completely when she saw no judgement in their eyes. In fact, they all appeared thrilled to meet her. "Hi, it's nice to meet all of you."

"The pleasure is all ours, Darling," Cato's mom said. "Thank you for bringing my son back to me, I will be forever gratefull for your compassion."

"Yes, life would be much more boring without the idiot," Nicholas stated, pointing his thumb in Cato's direction. "By the way, call me Nick, Nicholas is the name my mom uses when she's angry."

Katniss smiled shyly at how accepting the family was. None of them acted as though she was dirt or as though she didn't deserve to be alive.

Cato leaned forward across the table and shot her a carefree grin. "See, you didn't have to be so scared."

"You knew? Why didn't you say something to... I hate you, you know?" Katniss told him in a mock angry voice with a smile on her face. Cato laughed and apologized, promising not to do anything like it again.

Breakfast went by quickly and soon, Katniss got up to help clean the kitchen with the two other women while the men and children went to the living room.

"I'm sorry, for all you went through in the Arena and before, too. I hear you haven't had an easy life since you lost your father in an accident," Mathilda voiced her thoughts.

"You impressed me, that's for sure. You have a big heart, especially when it comes to young people. I was convinced you would kill Cato because he killed Peeta, but you let him live, something he probably wouldn't have done... I love Cato like a brother, but with all the training he's done, he usually doesn't react like a normal human would. He had to grow up so fast with all that was happening at home," Nissa whispered for fear of being heard.

"You mean, because of his father, don't you?" Katniss inquiered.

"He told you?" Mathilda sounded shocked by what Katniss had asked.

"He just told me that his father was abusive and that the beatings were meant to get him ready for his training. It's horrible, if you ask me. How could a father hurt his own flesh and blood?"

"It doesn't happen a lot, but it does sometimes. Some people here just want their child to win the Hunger Games so much that they take some disturbing, inhumane measures. I will never treat my kid like that, nor will I force her to train for the Games. This family will teach her what she needs to know, but she won't be turned into heartless killer like all the others who train," Nissa said passionately.

"It's a little personal, but I can't help but wonder why Cato went into the Games and not Nicholas?" Katniss questioned, slightly shy about prying into their personal lives.

"You're part of the family now, don't feel shy about wanting to know more about us. The reason Nick isn't the one who went into the Games is because he just isn't as strong and trained as Cato. Gregory, their father, let Nicholas hava a little more leeway," Mathilda answered.

The women finished the dishes in silence and Katniss took the time to process all the information she had gathered. When they met the rest of the family in the living room, Katniss felt a pang of longing. For the first time in her life, she found herself contemplating starting her own family. Love surrounded the family and it made Katniss realize that she wanted that kind of love, too.

"So, what are we doing today?" Alicia demanded. "Can we go to the training center? It's open for everyone on Sundays," Alicia added on as an afterthought.

"That's an idea. And Katniss could show us what she can really do with a bow and arrow," Nicholas commented.

Cato raised an eyebrow in Katniss' direction to know if she was okay with the plans. Katniss shrugged. Taking her movement as a yes, Cato told everyone to get ready. He and Katniss were already in sport gear and waited for the others to get changed.

A few moments later, everyone was dressed and ready to go. When they left the house together, Cato extended his hand towards Katniss. Taking the offered hand, Katniss drew closer to Cato and smiled up at him softly. If she thought things were going to be awkward betweeen them, she was wrong. Everything felt right, even with the kiss they had shared yesterday night. Actually, things between the two co-victors had never been better.

Both the teens were slowly coming to terms with their feelings and things could only get better from there, especially with President Snow wanting his newest vistors to appear in love.

_A\N: Thank you for reading and reviewing! _

_I feel a little insecure about the story's rating... if you think it should be a M, please tell me and say why. _


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Please read the author's note at the end of the chapter if you are interested in the future of this story!

Chapter 18

Upon entering the training center, all eyes turned to the group of seven. Everyone knew what had happened the previous night and they were all a little intrigued by Katniss. She had surprised every citizen in the district with her strength and her determination. Also, the conversation she had about her life in district twelve had been overheard by the crowd last night and it had interested more than one person.

Ignoring the stares, Cato directed Katniss to the archery station and his family followed, wanting to see what she could do with a bow. Seeing where they were heading, all the people in the center followed, they too wanting to know the extent of Katniss' talent with the weapon.

Katniss picked a bow that ressembled the one she had used in the Games and swung a quiver full of arrows onto her back. Standing in front of a row of targets, Katniss strung an arrow and aimed. She didn't need to hear the thump that echoed through the silent room to know she had hit bull's eye. She repeated the process until the row of targets all had an arrow through their centers. Turning around to face the crowd she knew was there, she was met with awe-filled faces. Smiling a little at the reaction she had received, she started to place the bow down. However, a hand touched her arm and she glanced over her shoulder to meet Alicia's blue eyes.

"Can you hit a moving target?" the girl asked.

"Of course," Katniss replied. "I hunted in the Games, didn't I? And animals don't stand still for the arrow, now do they?"

"Let's see it, then," Alicia said in a challenging voice, as though she didn't believe her. Katniss knew that it was only disbelief that had the girl acting that way, because she knew Alicia didn't have anything against her.

Katniss nodded her head. "Who's throwing for me?" Katniss surveyed the crowd before turning back to Alicia. "Why don't you help me out?"

Alicia grabbed a ball from the pile someone had brought over and, without warning, threw it. Katniss loaded the bow and shot the ball straight throught it's center, pining it to the wall. Another ball was sent into the air in a different direction and Katniss spun around and let an arrow fly to hit the center again. After a few more throws, Cato grabbed a ball and threw it at the same time as his sister, but in a different angle. Katnis shot two arrows and got both balls to stick to the wall behind. People added themselves to the line of throwers until Katniss had eight balls to hit one after the other with almost no pause in between each arrow.

When there were no more arrows left in the quiver, Katniss finally took the time to breathe as she observed the wall filled with pinned balls. The hunteress turned around when she heard people applauding and she bowed to the people with a grin. Katniss was then tackled to the ground by an excited Alicia.

"Wow! That was amazing. Can you teach me, please? It would be awesome to be as good as you with the bow and arrow. No one here is good with it, 'cause they prefer close-range weapons to long-range ones," the little girl pleaded.

"I wouldn't mind learning either," Nick added.

"It'll be fun, Katniss," Cato encouraged. "I'll even stay and learn with them."

The young woman finally accepted to give a short lesson. However, she wasn't expecting to see everyone that had watched her stay to hear her teachings. Shifting nervously, Katniss looked towards Cato for reassurance. At his nod, she took a deep breath and started telling her public what she did to get the results she got with the weapon.

After the lesson, everyone dispersed to the stations and Katniss wandered around to watch as Alicia participated in many of those stations. While she ws following Cato and his family, a group of tall trees caught her eye. Telling Cato where she was going, she left the group and went to stand at the bottom of the tallest tree. Katniss climbed onto the first branch carefully before starting to scale the tree like a squirrel. Soon, she had reached the top and she started to go back down. When she was near a sturdy branch, Katniss changed her mind and sat there. Resting her back on the trunk, she closed her eyes and thought about the times she had done the same thing in the forest while she was waiting for her hunting partner to arrive.

She was startled out of her daydreaming when someone called her name. Shifting he body carefully, Katniss looked down and saw that Cato was the one who had spoken. Katniss climbed down, but she stopped when there was about five meters between them.

"Why don't you join me up here? The weather's so much better!" Katniss playfully taunted the ex-Career.

Cato grinned at the memory. "No, you jump and I'll catch you."

For a moment, Katniss debated as to whether or not it was a good idea before deciding to trust Cato. "Okay," she replied before letting herself drop down from her branch, straight into her co-victor's strong arms. Cato hugged her to him for an instant, revelling in the fact that she had trusted him to not let her crash, before he gently set her back onto her feet.

"Supper time," Cato announced as he guided Katniss to the exit of the training center, his arm around her slender waist.

Katniss leaned a little into Cato as the chilly air outside hit her sweaty skin. Seeing Katniss shiver from the cold, Cato smirked at the woman. "Race you to the house." And he took off. Grinning at this carefree side of her co-victor, Katniss sprinted to catch up to him. Just as she was about to race past Cato, she got an idea. Slowing down her pace, she went directly behind Cato and leaped up onto his back, wrapping her arms tightly around his broad shoulders. Cato carried the young woman into the house before dropping her into her chair, laughing at the mischievous streak in the fiery woman.

"Cheater," he murmured in Katniss' ears, his warm breath tickling Katniss' face.

"Am not! I just took advantage of the situation," she replied, nonchalantly pushing him away. "Sit, supper's getting cold."

"Yes, m'am!" To his family's surprise, Cato didn't get mad at being ordered around, he simply sat down and shot them all a smile.

Later that night as the victors got into the bed, Katniss turned and propped herself onto her elbow and faced Cato who was on his back.

"Thank you for being there for me, for helping me along when I'm not sure what to do." With that said, she leaned down and placed her lips on Cato's for a moment before she pulled back, scared that she had overstepped his boundaries. Slowly, as though afraid she would run, Cato raised his hands, one tangled into her hair and the other went around Katniss' waist, and he tugged her down until their lips met again. Only this time, their bodies were melded together and their lips were moving in sync.

Katniss was hesitant at first, but she gained assurance, allowing her body to relax and her lips to have a mind of their own. The young woman lost herself in the feel of Cato's soft, full lips on her own. Her eyes, which had closed, opened in shock when Cato's tongue traced her lips. She started to pull back, but Cato's arm tightened around her waist, keeping her on him, but allowing her to detach her lips from his with a disappointed groan.

"Sorry," Katniss whispered, having understood his feelings.

"No, I'm sorry," Cato muttered. "I got a little carried away and forgot myself."

Cato's admission stunned Katniss speachless. "It's okay. You startled me with... uhm..."

Cato's chest rumbled underneath Katniss as he chuckled. " Next time, I'll go slower, promise"

_Next time?_ Katniss wondered as she started to fall asleep. _Let's hope he doesn't keep me waiting for too long..._

_AN: PLEASE READ! I know where I want to go with the story, but I am stuck at this chapter and I don't know what to do after this. It has been bugging me for I don't know how long. I need some help, like seriously! If you have any ideas that I could insert in the story for chapter 19, it would be totally awesome... My next update might take a lot of time, and I'm sorry if it does. Thank you for the reviews! _


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

_A/N: I want to give special thanks to Rubie blakie, Bloodredfirefly and swishyla. Thank you for your ideas! They have helped a lot, and even if I do not use them all, they have kicked my imagination in the butt. _

The next morning, when Katniss woke up, Cato was still sleeping. Katniss admired his beautiful features for a moment before carefully extracting herself from his arms. Tiptoeing, she left the room and shut the door silently behind herself. She crept down the hallway until she reached the kitchen, where she sat down at the table with a glass of water and remembered everything that had happened since the reaping.

A creaking floorboard alerted Katniss of another presence a few moments before Nicholas entered the room. When he saw Katniss, he smiled softly. Grabbing a glass of orange juice, he sat in front of the young woman who had won the heart of his brother.

"A little overwhelmed?"

Katniss nodded her head. Then, shrugging, she replied: "A month ago, I wouldn't have believed it if someone had told me this would happen. Everything moved so fast after my sister's name was called at the reaping. It's still moving way too fast for my liking!"

Nicholas offered her a small smile. Both were silent for a few seconds.

"I am glad that Cato found you. He's so different than he was before the Games. I'm just..." Shooting Katniss an apologetic glance, Nicholas finished his thought: "I'm just scared that one of you is going to get hurt in your relationship."

"Me, too. Me, too." Katniss whispered, emotion chocking her. "I'm afraid we'll just end up with broken hearts. You have to understand that I've never been in a relation with a boy. When my father passed away, I closed myself off from everything until the only thing that really mattered was Prim and survival. Feeling what I feel for Cato is new and it scares me with its intensity. Sometimes, I feel like I'm going to drown or get lost and never find myself again. I'm terrified of falling in love only to have him be ripped away from me!"

Tears spilled down her cheeks as Katniss finally voiced her worries and her feelings out loud. Before her first tear reached her chin, Nicholas was around the table and had the distressed girl wrapped tightly in his strong arms. The only detail was that Katniss wanted another pair of arms around her, whispering some comforting words.

Nicholas held Katniss close to him, feeling her tears soak through his night shirt. He was sad that his own fears had triggered hers. Lifting his head, he saw his brother standing in the doorway, watching the scene with pain-filled eyes. Motioning for Cato to join them, Nicholas transferred Katniss into his embrace and silently left the room, leaving the couple to deal with their issues. In the hallway, Nicholas intercepted his mother before she entered the kitchen, giving Cato and Katniss some time alone.

When Katniss finally got control over her empowering emotions, she gathered her courage and raised her eyes to meet an icy blue gaze. "Did you hear everything?" she inquired.

Cato nodded and Katniss hid her face against his chest, feeling exposed. "You weren't supposed to be listening!" she muttered, her voice distorted.

"But I was. You should have told me you were so insecure, I would have made things easier. We could have talked about it sooner!" His chest rumbled beneath Katniss' ear, sending a shiver down her spine. Just as Katniss was about to respond, Cato cupped her chin in his hand and tipped her head back until she met his eyes. "I would have told you that I have no intention of letting you go, that I love you," Cato stated in a soft, but somewhat vulnerable voice. It was apparent that he was scared of being rejected or having his feelings not be reciprocated.

Katniss stilled. Cato has finally laid his feelings down on the table. And although she was still afraid of being hurt, Katniss couldn't repress the surge of relief she felt.

Seeing Cato's need to be reassured that his love wasn't simply one-sided, Katniss stood on her tiptoes and held his face between her slender hands before reaching up and laying her lips against his own soft ones. For a second, they remained like that, barely touching, before the blonds' hands tangled in the Seam girl's hair and tugged her against his body harder. Both teens were lost in each other, letting the attraction between them be their guide. Soon, their kiss had escalated into a passionate one and the teens were so wrapped up in their own little world and feelings that they only realized they had a public when a joyful exclamation almost pierced their eardrums.

"I knew it! I knew it! You're in love! OMG, it's so cool, I can't believe it: my big brother's in love!" Alicia shouted while doing a happy dance.

"What's with all the screaming?" Nissa demanded, a little put off by the fact Brittany had been jolted awake so early.

"Sorry! Did I wake Britt?" Seeing the tired mother and the crying baby dampened Alicia's enthusiasm. "It's just that Katniss and Cato were kissing. They really like each other!"

"Nissa, why don't you hand me Brittany and get yourself a cup of coffee?" Mathilda offered, gently lifting the child out of her mother's arms, proving it wasn't really up to discussion.

During that conversation, Katniss had wiped any leftover tears from her eyes and Nicholas came in, leaning against one of the counters. Katniss almost felt like she was a part of the family, accepted and cherished by all its members. Maybe living here wouldn't be so bad, after all. She still missed Prim and her friends, but Katniss was sure she could convince Cato to allow them to visit once in a while.

A relaxed atmosphere settled over the household as they ate breakfast. However, a banging noise at the front door interrupted one of Alicia's many questions. Frowning, Cato was starting to get up when the door banged open and heavy footsteps came towards the kitchen. Alarmed glances were exchanged and everyone stood, the men standing protectively in front of the group.

Katniss peeked around Cato's massive form to get a look at the person who had so brutally entered the house. The blond man from the feast that had glared was standing in the threshold. His cold, unfeeling eyes surveyed the group until they found Katniss. Staring at her with utter disgust, he growled: "How dare you allow such trash into my house, wife? And why is it that a Seam Rat is treated well in my home? You are a disgrace to me, all of you!"

_A__/N: I finally had an idea for this chapter with help from the people mentioned at the top. To be honest, I had forgotten about Cato's father… _

_I am sorry that it is a long time between updates, but this is not my only project… Please bear with me! _


	20. Author's Note

I know I haven't posted in some time, and I truly sorry for that. The reason: I don't know how to continue with my fanfiction, I have some kind of writer's block. I have been working on another project and I have drifted away from this story. I am going into my final exams for the year next week and must study like crazy if I want to pass them all, so my time for writing is limited.

**So, my fanfic is currently on pause for a while.** I will try to write the rest of the story completely before posting again. If I can't finish it, I will either put the story up for adoption, either leave it unfinished, or delete it. But you will be warned before I take action...

I really am sorry and I hope you can forgive me for leaving the story like this. I swear I'll try to get over my block during summer and I hope I will have a new chapter up some day.

I know you were waiting for an update, but... Until next time. One last thing: I really loved reading all the reviews I received and they are what kept me going for most part and they are what's keeping me from completely abandoning this story. I wish you all a great summer, and for those going into exams, I wish you luck!


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